New Delhi: Bengaluru’s iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium has been cancelled as the venue for the upcoming Women’s World Cup 2025, according to sources close to News9. Bengaluru was dropped as the host city for India’s home World Cup two months after a deadly stampede during Royal Challenger Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory parade outside the stadium took the lives of 11 people, including kids and injured several others.
Following a judicial probe that declared the venue “fundamentally unsafe” for large events, the Karnataka government has refused permission for matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The horrific stampede, which occurred when a massive buildup of fans at the stadium to celebrate RCB’s maiden IPL win, raised serious concerns.
The commission, which was set up to probe the IPL victory celebration stampede, concluded that the stadium’s “design and structure” are unsuitable for big crowds, citing inadequate entry and exit points, poor connectivity to public transport, lack of queuing areas, insufficient emergency evacuation plans, and minimal parking space.
The report also warned that hosting large events here posed “unacceptable risks” to public safety, including inadequate entry and exit points, poor public transport links, no proper queuing space, weak evacuation plans, and minimal parking.
The Karnataka government had blamed RCB for the mishap, citing a lack of permission and poor crowd management and termed the Chinnaswamy stadium unfit for hosting matches.
Massive blow for KSCA and Chinnaswamy Stadium, but the decision seemed inevitable
Meanwhile, the KSCA has called the decision “disappointing,” pointing to the stadium’s strong track record in hosting cricket matches (750 to be specific) and close to 15 IPL seasons.
“Even our request to host matches without spectators was turned down,” a KSCA official told News9, noting that the June 4 event (IPL victory parade) was privately organised, not a cricket match.
The opening ceremony and the inaugural match were originally slated to be held in Bengaluru on September 30, but will now be hosted at some other venue. Some key fixtures, too, will be shifted elsewhere.
Officials also alleged lapses in crowd management during the June 4 event, holding RCB, KSCA, event organiser DNA Entertainment, and senior police officers partly responsible. Investigators found that only 79 police personnel were deployed inside the venue, none outside, and no ambulances were present outside the stadium
Last month, Chinnaswamy was denied permission to host the KSCA Maharaj T20 Trophy. With Bengaluru dropped as the host city, the BCCI will likely announce revised venues and fixtures soon.