Crowd safety measure after Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede incident

Mysuru, Sept. 7 (RK&BCT)- There will be no free entry for the Dasara Air Show at the Bannimantap Torchlight Parade Grounds this year.

The Air Show, conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF), is most likely to be held at the Torchlight Parade Grounds on Vijayadashami Day (Oct. 2). In previous editions, the event was free for the public, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mysuru Deputy Commissioner and Dasara Special Officer G. Lakshmikanth Reddy told Star of Mysore this morning that, unlike in the past, this year’s Air Show will be a ticketed event, similar to other major Vijayadashami Day events like the Jumboo Savari inside the Mysore Palace and the Torchlight Parade at Bannimantap.

The decision comes in the wake of stampede at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on June 4, 2025, during the IPL victory celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where 11 people lost their lives.

“Air Show is a high-crowd gathering event and we want to avoid any possibility of a stampede. That is why we decided to make the Air Show a ticketed event. Details of the tickets and rates will be announced soon,” the DC said.

In 2023, the Air Show was held on Oct. 22 and 23, from 4 pm to 4.45 pm. The show on Oct. 22 was open to the public (free entry), while the Oct. 23 edition was restricted to pass-holders, with passes distributed by the Office of the Mysuru City Police Commissioner.