Fire at Gurgaon’s Kingdom of Dreams; no casualties at abandoned site

2 min readGurgaonUpdated: Jul 15, 2026 04:51 PM IST

A fire broke out at the abandoned Kingdom of Dreams site in Gurgaon Sector 29. (Special Arrangement, Enhanced using AI)

A fire broke out at the abandoned Kingdom of Dreams site in Gurgaon Sector 29, Wednesday afternoon. Fire department officials at the Sector 29 fire station said they spotted the smoke at 1.30 pm and rushed to the spot.

“Several people had gathered there… The decorative gate, which had a lot of thermocol, was up in flames… and it spread to furniture nearby. The cause has not been determined yet. Six fire engines were deployed, which put out the fire within 45 minutes,” fire safety officer Naresh Kumar told The Indian Express.

Premier destination, now sealed

Once celebrated as India’s premier live entertainment and leisure destination, Kingdom of Dreams (KoD) has stood abandoned since July 2022.

Located near the IFFCO Chowk Metro Station, the expansive six-acre facility in Sector 29 was sealed by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) following the termination of its land lease agreement.

The closure preceded a massive financial dispute over non-payment of rent.

In 2008, KoD’s operators, Great Indian Nautanki Company, were leased the prime commercial land by the HSVP (then known as HUDA) at a fixed monthly rent of Rs 36 lakh. However, the management severely defaulted on these payments over the years. By the time the premises were sealed, the operators owed over Rs 100 crore in lease dues.

Consequently, the HSVP imposed hefty penalties that brought the total outstanding amount to approximately Rs 208 crore. Despite numerous notices, and a history of financial irregularities dating back to 2014, the management failed to clear the accumulated arrears.

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This is the third fire that has broken out at the derelict structure since it was sealed.

On July 26, 2023, a fire broke out in the facility’s basement. Another blaze broke out in March 2025, requiring at least 10 fire tenders to douse the flames.

Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.

Education

- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)

- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)

Professional Experience

Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.

Reporting Interests

His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.

Recent Coverage (2025)

- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).

- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).

- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).

- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.

- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).

- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).

Contact

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