Nearly ten months after eleven fans died in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back to play at home — and this time, they have spent close to Rs 7 crore to make sure what happened on June 4, 2025 can never happen again.

What Happened on June 4, 2025

RCB had just won their first-ever IPL title after 18 years. A felicitation ceremony was held at Chinnaswamy Stadium, and hundreds of thousands of fans turned up across the city. The crowd outside the ground became unmanageable. A temporary slab over a drain collapsed under the weight of fans standing on it, triggering a fatal crush.

Eleven people were killed and over 30 were injured. A judicial inquiry later found RCB, KSCA and event management firm DNA Entertainment responsible, describing their conduct as “recklessness bordering on gross negligence.” FIRs were filed, police officials were suspended, and the Karnataka High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident.

The case remains sub judice, with the High Court currently hearing petitions by RCB and KSCA to quash the FIRs.

Rs 7 Crore Spent on Infrastructure

CEO Rajesh Menon laid out exactly where the money has gone.

“We have invested approximately Rs 7 crore towards enhancing crowd management infrastructure, including multiple baggage scanners and command centres.”

The key upgrades include:

  • AI-powered CCTV via Jarvis: Cameras installed inside the stadium, across the concourse and in surrounding areas give real-time crowd density alerts, stand-specific counts and automatic notifications when thresholds are breached.

  • Police command centre access: The Commissioner’s office will have live access to all camera feeds both inside and outside the ground at all times.

  • Holding areas: If congestion is detected at any gate, holding areas will be closed immediately until fans move safely to their seats.

  • Dedicated emergency corridor: A green corridor from one of the stadium gates has been set aside for ambulances, fire services and emergency personnel.

  • Reworked entry and exit points: All access routes have been redesigned based on police recommendations to improve crowd flow.

  • Gates open four hours early: To prevent last-minute congestion at the entrances.

  • Reduced capacity: A maximum of 28,000 fans will be allowed per match, down from the stadium’s full capacity of 35,000.

  • Two mock drills: To be conducted before the first IPL match to test all protocols under real conditions.

Ticketing and Transport Overhaul

RCB is shifting heavily to digital ticketing, with 80–90% of tickets being mobile-based and sold through the franchise’s official platform. No private vehicles will be allowed to drop off fans near the stadium on match days. Instead, every ticket holder gets a free Namma Metro ride, with pre-booked parking available at metro stations.

The popular pre-season Unbox event has also been cancelled this season to keep all focus on match-day safety operations.

A New Accountability Framework

One of the more significant institutional changes is in how responsibility is divided. Under the previous arrangement, RCB was the sole organiser while KSCA was only the venue provider. That has now changed.

“Under the updated agreements between the BCCI, KSCA and RCB, the state association will serve as the lead organiser along with the franchise, and will implement the standard operating procedures, including emergency planning protocols, and indemnify any breach of the stadium agreement.”

The SOPs are court-mandated, and Menon was direct about their non-negotiable nature.

“I would like to thank the government for making this possible. It has been a long journey since June 4, and everything has been executed on a war footing. We have worked to follow the SOPs provided by the court and ensure all protocols are in place.”

RCB open their IPL 2026 campaign at Chinnaswamy against SunRisers Hyderabad on March 28.