Following Diwali celebrations on 31 October 2024, a video (here, here and here) has gone viral on social media showing an impressive fireworks display in a stadium. The post claims this scene is from recent Diwali celebrations in Dimapur stadium, Nagaland. Let’s explore the truth behind this claim.
Claim: Visuals of fireworks in a stadium during the recent Diwali celebration in Nagaland.
Fact: These visuals of fireworks in a stadium are from the Copa Libertadores semi-final between River Plate (Argentina) and Atlético Mineiro (Brazil) on 29 October 2024, at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, not from the recent Diwali celebrations in Nagaland, hence the claim is FALSE.
To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search on Google, which led us to the full version of the viral clip on an X handle named Brut FR. Posted on 1 November 2024, the video was captioned in French as footage from the Copa Libertadores semi-final second leg between Argentina’s River Plate and Brazil’s Atlético Mineiro. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, but Atlético Mineiro advanced to the final after a 3-0 win in the first leg. The viral footage, showing the stadium fireworks, appears at the end of this video.
Further research led us to the same video, uploaded by a football-exclusive channel named VRedBaller on 30 October 2024. This upload predates Diwali and was captioned, “River Plate fans go CRAZY vs Atlético MG at El Monumental for the Copa Libertadores!” The channel also posted additional visuals of the same event from another angle, confirming the video’s origin.
A comparison between the original video and the viral clip further confirms that they depict the same event. The lighting at the top of the stadium and people holding microphones and phones, are identical in both videos.
The search for news reports led us to a detailed account of the event by beIN Sports. According to their report, on 29 October 2024, River Plate’s stadium was shut down due to unauthorized fireworks by fans during the Copa Libertadores match against Atlético Mineiro. The fans launched fireworks throughout the stadium, violating approved guidelines. The Buenos Aires Government Control Agency (AGC) imposed a closure after discovering 3,648 flares stored in a disabled bathroom. The closure brought penalties, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office and CONMEBOL were involved. The club is working to lift the closure but faces a significant fine. Despite a massive light show by fans, River Plate ended with a 0-0 draw and was knocked out.
At the same time, along with the rest of the country, Nagaland celebrated Diwali with homes, businesses, and locations lit up, especially in Kohima and Dimapur, where the majority of the non-Christian community resides. Several (here and here) reports mentioned the festival being celebrated with pomp and gaiety on Thursday. During the day, people were busy buying lamps and firecrackers, and by evening, houses were illuminated with lights and diyas. Despite the administration’s firecracker ban, fireworks lit up the skies. Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio extended their greetings.
To sum up, the visuals of fireworks in a stadium in Argentina were falsely shared as Diwali celebrations in Nagaland.
