Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium Declared ‘Unsafe’ For Large Gatherings After Deadly Stampede; Here’s Why

The Justice D’Cunha Commission’s findings mark a turning point in how stadium safety is viewed in India. Until Chinnaswamy Stadium undergoes substantial structural and procedural reforms, it will remain off-limits for large-scale events, reshaping the future of sports and entertainment in the city.

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Bengaluru: The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, one of India’s most iconic cricket venues, has been officially deemed “unsuitable and unsafe for mass gatherings” following the fatal crowd crush that claimed 11 lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations on June 4, 2025.

The declaration comes from the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, a judicial panel appointed by the Karnataka government to investigate the incident. The panel’s report, submitted in late July, highlights serious structural and procedural flaws in the stadium’s design and event management practices.

Key Findings: Infrastructure and Safety Failures

The commission concluded that the stadium’s existing design is inherently unsafe for high-capacity events:

• Entry and exit gates directly open onto crowded footpaths with no designated queuing areas, creating dangerous choke points.
• The lack of integrated public transport access and segregated parking zones contributes to the chaos during entry and dispersal.
• Inadequate evacuation plans and emergency preparedness could worsen casualties during crises.

Legal and Administrative Fallout

Accepting the panel’s recommendations, the Karnataka cabinet has directed legal action against multiple stakeholders, including:

• The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and its senior officials.
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) executives are involved in organising the celebrations.
• Event partner DNA Entertainment Networks.
• Several senior police officials were accused of failing to enforce crowd-control protocols.
• Suspensions have already been issued to several police officers, while KSCA leaders and RCB officials face potential charges of criminal negligence.

Impact on Upcoming Events

The ruling has major implications for cricket and entertainment events scheduled at the venue:

• The Maharaja Trophy T20, set for August 2025, will now be played behind closed doors.
• Fixtures of the Women’s ODI World Cup (September–November 2025) allocated to Bengaluru are likely to be shifted to alternate venues unless urgent infrastructure upgrades are completed.
• The future of hosting IPL matches at Chinnaswamy remains uncertain.

What Next?

Authorities are expected to issue a timeline for mandatory safety improvements before allowing any large-scale gatherings at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Failure to comply could result in a long-term suspension of its use for international and IPL matches, dealing a blow to cricket fans and Bengaluru’s sporting economy.