Bengaluru stampede: Times when other sporting events and celebrations turned tragic

Thousands of fans gathered outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory on Wednesday. This was after the RCB team landed in the city following their maiden IPL title win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad. The team was felicitated by the Karnataka government at the Vidhana Soudha, after which they went to the Chinnaswamy to celebrate with fans.

However, the overwhelming crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium led to a stampede, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 individuals, including a child, and injuring over 30 others. The incident has sent shockwaves across the cricket world. RCB issued its first statement following the tragic incident and expressed grief and sorrow. The Karnataka government has announced compensation for the families of the victims and urged supporters to stay safe.

Past incidents of tragic celebrations in sports

Liverpool victory parade incident (2025): On 26 May, during Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade, a vehicle intentionally drove into a crowd of supporters, injuring nearly 100 people, including children. The driver was arrested at the scene and faced multiple charges. Authorities later confirmed that the act was deliberate.

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Indonesia football match stampede (2022): In October 2022, a football match in Malang, Indonesia, ended in disaster when police used tear gas to disperse fans who had invaded the pitch. The resulting panic led to a stampede that killed at least 125 people and injured over 180, making it one of the deadliest disasters in sports.

Heysel Stadium disaster (1985): In May 1985, during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, clashes between fans led to a wall collapse, resulting in 39 deaths and over 600 injuries. The tragedy led to a five-year ban for English clubs from European competitions.

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Hillsborough stadium disaster (1989): On 15 April 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, overcrowding in the stands led to a fatal crowd crush, causing 97 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The disaster led to significant changes in stadium safety regulations in the UK.

Eden Gardens disaster (1980): A stampede occurred during a football match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens, leading to the deaths of 16 fans and injuring over 100. The tragedy is remembered as ‘Football Lovers’ Day’ and led to the suspension of the Calcutta Football League that year.