Big news for RCB fans worried about losing their home ground this season. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar just confirmed IPL 2026 stays at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
There were serious talks about moving matches elsewhere after last year’s horrible stampede tragedy. That incident killed 11 people during an RCB celebration event, which shook everyone badly. Now the government wants to make absolutely sure nothing like that ever happens again.
Why There Was Talk About Moving IPL 2026
The stampede during the RCB victory event left everyone devastated and questioning stadium safety. Eleven people lost their lives and many others were injured in that crushing chaos. People started demanding that the IPL move to a safer venue immediately after this.
“In the future, whatever mishaps happened in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, we will make sure such incidents do not recur. Going forward, we will conduct events in this KSCA stadium in a way that upholds the pride of Bengaluru. But we will do it properly, within the legal framework, and with better attention to crowd management while using this stadium,” said DK Shivkumar.
The government had to take these concerns seriously given what happened to those families. Moving IPL 2026 seemed like a real possibility for several weeks after the tragedy.
“Along with this, we will also develop an alternative stadium, a large one. After the incidents that happened last year and the issues that followed, there were talks of shifting the IPL elsewhere.
“But from now on, no IPL will be shifted; we will conduct it right here. This is the pride of Karnataka and Bengaluru, and we will protect it. Whatever needs to be done, we will ensure it is taken care of going forward,” he added.
What Safety Changes Are Coming to M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
The Karnataka government isn’t taking any chances with safety measures going forward from here. They’ve ordered a complete structural safety check of the entire stadium before any matches. Experts certified by NABL will inspect every corner of the 17-acre ground thoroughly. That’s the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories doing the checking work.
Crowd management is getting a total overhaul too with proper plans being put in place. Deputy CM Shivakumar stressed this point multiple times during his announcement about IPL 2026. The stadium absolutely has to prove it can handle massive crowds safely before hosting resumes.
Bengaluru’s Pride and Future Stadium Plans
Shivakumar made it clear that M. Chinnaswamy Stadium means everything to Bengaluru’s sporting identity. The city won’t let IPL 2026 slip away to some other location no matter what. He’s also talking about building a much bigger stadium in the future for events. This new venue would handle large gatherings way better than the current setup does.
The existing stadium sits on just 17 acres, which limits capacity and crowd flow options. A bigger venue solves these problems while keeping cricket in Bengaluru.
