A New Stadium for RCB in IPL 2026?

In a stunning development that could reshape their title defense, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to play the IPL 2026 season away from their iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following a tragic stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured over 70 outside the venue on June 4, just a day after RCB’s historic IPL 2025 win, the Karnataka government has declared the stadium unfit for hosting major events, including high-profile cricket matches.

The incident occurred during a victory celebration parade that drew an estimated 300,000 fans, nearly ten times the stadium’s 35,000 capacity. Mismanagement of security and lack of crowd control were cited in a judicial commission’s scathing report, which held RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and event organizers DNA Entertainment Networks responsible for the chaos. Shockingly, all 79 police officers deployed for the event were stationed inside the stadium, with none outside to manage the massive crowd.

The Karnataka cabinet has approved legal action against key individuals from RCB, KSCA, and the event agency. While the state government initially appeared to blame the IPL franchise, it has since acknowledged failures on the part of senior police officials as well, including the suspension of Bengaluru’s police commissioner and other top officers. The official report, led by retired Justice John Michael D’Cunha, found the organizers operated without necessary permissions, failed to regulate entries, and ignored critical safety measures.

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RCB set to play IPL 2026 away from Chinnaswamy after stampede tragedy forces stadium ban

As a consequence, RCB will lose the home-ground advantage at Chinnaswamy, a venue renowned for its electric atmosphere and die-hard fan base. The franchise will be assigned a new home stadium for the 2026 edition, though the BCCI has yet to confirm the replacement venue.

RCB had just finished their long wait for a title with Rajat Patidar's January coming out party as they defeated Punjab Kings at the 2025 IPL final in Ahmedabad, but the elations turned into a tragedy, and we are now dealing with the ramifications of it before what should be an eventful season.

The event has also sparked political blame games, where the opposition BJP is blaming the Congress-led Karnataka government for endorsing the event without any real enforcement of safety norms. The Karnataka Government ,meanwhile, pledges to restructure those safety norms before allowing a large, public events at the stadium. And with court processes continuing, with no solid timeline in which Chinnaswamy will become a cricket venue again, it is a difficult transition year for RCB away from home as defending champions, under significant public scrutiny.