Bengaluru Stampede: Chinnaswamy Stadium Declared ‘Unsafe’ for Big Events Before Women’s WC 2025

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been deemed unsafe for large events after a stampede probe, casting doubt over Women’s World Cup 2025 matches. The report cites lack of safety features and urges shifting major fixtures to more suitable venues.

Ahead of the Women’s World Cup 2025, M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been declared ‘unsafe’ to host a large-scale event, according to the report by Justice John Michael Cunha Commission.

Justice John Michael Cunha Commission, which has been tasked by the Karnataka Government to investigate the Bengaluru Stampede that claimed the lives of 11 people and 50 were injured during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations, has submitted a report stating that M Chinnaswamy Stadium is not equipped to host big events.

This marks a major development for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as the franchise is now facing legal action and departmental inquiries, alongside the Karnataka Cricket Association, event management firm, DNA Entertainment, and Bengaluru police officials, over gross negligence and lack of crowd measures in place that led to massive overcrowding outside the stadium.

Chinnaswamy unlikely to host the Women’s World Cup

M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the home ground for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has been selected as one of the four venues in India to host the upcoming Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place on September 30.

However, the report by Justice John Michael Cunha Commission has cast serious doubt over the venue’s readiness and safety compliance. As per the report by ESPN Cricinfo, the commission formed by the Karnataka Government stated that the structure of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium’s design and structure are ‘unsuitable and unsafe’ for mass gatherings.

The Commission further warned of holding large-scale events as the iconic venue has the risk of posing ‘unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness'.

With the latest report on M Chinnaswamy Stadium’s structural and logistical shortcomings, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might be forced to reconsider Bengaluru as one of the host venues for the upcoming prestigious Women’s World Cup, potentially shifting fixtures to another city or venue to avoid further public safety risks and legal complications.

Recommended to host large-scale events outside Chinnaswamy

The report submitted by Justice John Michael Cunha Commission cited ‘systematic complications’ and asked to avoid hosting large-scale events at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, given that the structural design is not safe to conduct crowd-heavy events without risking public safety and logistical breakdowns.

The report further suggested that the large-scale events be hosted by or shifted to a venue that ‘better suited’ to handle a ‘significant crowd’. The report by the Karnataka Government-formed Commission also stated that the future venue that hosts major or large-scale events ‘should meet international standards’.

The latest report by the Commission, which investigated the Bengaluru Stampede, leaves the future events at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in a vulnerable situation as they are set to host major events in the next few months. The Women’s World Cup opening match between hosts India and Sri Lanka, the semifinal, and potentially the Final, all initially scheduled at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, may now be relocated.

Apart from the Women’s World Cup, the venue will be hosting the Maharaja T20 Trophy, the Karnataka T20 domestic tournament, which will start on August 11. However, the competition is likely to be played behind closed doors after the report.

Key requirements M Chinnaswamy Stadium lacks

Apart from declaring M Chinnaswamy Stadium unsafe to host major events, the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission has outlined several key requirements that the venue lacks. This includes:

•  Purpose-built queuing and circulation areas separated from public roads
•  Sufficient entry and exit gates to manage mass ingress and egress
•  Integrated access to public transport and nearby tourist hubs
• Comprehensive emergency evacuation plans in line with global safety norms
•  Adequate parking and drop-off facilities to accommodate large volumes of attendees

Meanwhile, the panel also recommended action against Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) chief Raghuram Bhatt, ex-secretary A Shankar, ex-treasurer ES Jairam, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan, and VP Sunil Mathur.

Shankar and Jairam resigned from their respective positions at KSCA as a moral responsibility in the aftermath of the stampede that turned into a tragedy outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium.