MUMBAI: As the countdown to the biggest celebration of Indian cinema worldwide draws near, the IIFA management revealed that the charismatic duo -- Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar, would host the upcoming NEXA IIFA Awards powered by Vivo at the iconic MetLife Stadium.

Bollywood's youth icon Varun Dhawan is all set to make a debut at IIFA Awards with a stunning performance and will be also be seen co-hosting a segment of the star-studded awards night.

The 18th Edition of IIFA awards will air exclusively live on Colors from New York at 9am and repeat at 6pm on 16 July 2017, Sunday. IIFA Awards 2017 will witness performances by Bollywood superstars, Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon, to name a few.

Johar said, “New York will be spellbound with the magic of IIFA!” Khan added, saying, "This year it's going to be super fun and glamorous in every way as Karan and I are going to have lots of surprises." Dhawan shared: "This year is truly going to be a grand celebration and I can't wait to be there!”

Wizcraft director Andre Timmins says, “The line-up is being enhanced with more star power with Dhawan making his debut performance on the IIFA stage with a spectacular act and co-hosting for a special segment this year."

Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak said, “No longer will the Colors viewers have to wait to satiate their anticipation as this time they will get to see all the action unfold in actual time and in all its splendor across 140 countries. Our aim is to take IIFA to the level of the Oscars and beaming it live is a step towards that direction."