The most expensive party of the modern era is the 2024 wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, which is reported to have cost about $600 million across its pre-wedding events and the July ceremony in Mumbai. Nobody has published a bill, so every number on this page is a reported estimate, and we label each one that way.
We rank ten private celebrations, weddings, birthdays and one grand historical gala, by the cost most often reported, as of October 2026. Prices are in the money of the day unless noted. Where estimates clash, we give the range and say so.
| Rank | Item | Price (USD) | Date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding | About $600M (reported) | Mar to Jul 2024 | Jamnagar and Mumbai |
| 2 | Persepolis celebration (Iran) | $17M to ~$120M (disputed) | Oct 1971 | Persepolis, Iran |
| 3 | Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia wedding | About $55M to $60M | Jun 2004 | Paris and Versailles |
| 4 | Wedding of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Princess Salama | About $45M (reported) | 1981 | Abu Dhabi |
| 5 | Atlantis, The Palm opening party | About $31M (reported) | Nov 2008 | Dubai |
| 6 | Sultan of Brunei’s 50th birthday | About $27.2M | Jul 1996 | Jerudong Park, Brunei |
| 7 | Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding | About $20M to $25M (est.) | Jun 2025 | Venice |
| 8 | Elizabeth Brooks’s bar mitzvah | About $10M (reported) | 2005 | Venue not confirmed |
| 9 | Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin wedding | About $8M (reported) | Jun 2008 | Portofino, Italy |
| 10 | David Bonderman’s birthday party | About $7M (reported) | Date not confirmed | United States |
1. Ambani-Merchant wedding: about $600 million
Months of events. A first pre-wedding celebration in Jamnagar in March 2024 drew about 1,200 guests and featured a full concert by Rihanna, her first in eight years. Some special guests were also taken on a cruise tour of Italy. The wedding itself ran 12 to 14 July 2024, split between the family home Antilia and the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
The family has published no figures. Estimates run from about $400 million to $800 million, and Indian press has quoted as much as $1 billion, though that higher number appears to include road and airport work.
We settle on $600 million as the most commonly reported mid-point, and treat it as our estimate, not a bill.
2. The Persepolis celebration: costs disputed
In October 1971 Iran marked 2,500 years of Persian history with a gathering at the ancient city of Persepolis that drew around sixty heads of state and royals. A banquet of 600 guests lasted five and a half hours, which Guinness recorded as the longest and most lavish official banquet in modern history.
What it cost is argued over. The court put the figure at about $17 million at the time, an organiser said $22 million, and a documentary later claimed about $120 million, a number that has been called baseless. Some higher claims also count roads and an airport.
We rank it second on the strength of its scale, but the true bill is the least certain figure on the list.
3. Mittal-Bhatia wedding: about $55 to $60 million
Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal’s daughter married in Paris in 2004. The six-day event for about 1,000 guests included fireworks over the Eiffel Tower, a performance by Kylie Minogue and a reception at the Palace of Versailles. The wine alone reportedly cost about $1.5 million.
It is also the only wedding on this list for which a Guinness World Records entry is cited, which is why we trust its range more than most.
Sources give $55 million or $60 million; we show both.
4. Abu Dhabi crown prince wedding: about $45 million
A stadium for 20,000 guests was built for the occasion, and the celebrations ran for about a week with feasts in surrounding towns. Wedding gifts were reportedly carried on twenty jewelled camels.
The $45 million figure rests on a single published estimate, so treat it as a ballpark.
Adjusted for inflation, it would sit much higher than the 1981 number suggests.
5. Atlantis, The Palm opening: about $31 million
The resort threw a launch party on Palm Jumeirah with a Kylie Minogue performance and a firework display reportedly far larger than the one at the Beijing Olympics. Up to 2,000 celebrities were reportedly invited.
This is a marketing event, not a private party, which is why the budget is so high for the guest count. The $31 million is a single-source estimate.
6. Sultan of Brunei’s 50th birthday: about $27.2 million
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah turned 50 in July 1996. A purpose-built amphitheatre at Jerudong Park hosted Michael Jackson, who was reportedly paid $17 million. The sultan also played polo against then-Prince Charles that month.
The $27.2 million figure appears consistently in contemporary coverage; adjusted for inflation it would be roughly double today.
7. Bezos-Sanchez wedding: about $20 to $25 million
Held between 26 and 28 June 2025 across Venice, with the ceremony at San Giorgio Maggiore. Between 200 and 250 guests were expected, and about ninety private jets reportedly brought them in. The couple also donated 2 million euros to a project studying the Venetian lagoon.
Published estimates of the cost are as low as $20 million to $25 million and as high as $46 to $56 million when the regional government included economic-impact modelling. Wild claims of $600 million were denied.
We use the lower, spending-based range.
8. Elizabeth Brooks’s bar mitzvah: about $10 million
For her 13th birthday, defense contractor David Brooks hired Aerosmith, Ciara, 50 Cent and Stevie Nicks, and flew them in on his company jet. Aerosmith alone took about a tenth of the budget.
The $10 million is a widely repeated reported figure.
9. Rooney wedding: about $8 million
A ceremony at a 17th-century villa and a reception at a medieval abbey above Portofino. Reported spending was around $8 million.
Rooney was already one of the best-known players in England, and the cost is a press estimate.
10. David Bonderman’s birthday: about $7 million
The TPG co-founder booked the Rolling Stones for a set of about an hour at a birthday party for friends and fellow billionaires. The reported cost was about $7 million.
We could not confirm the date from the sources we opened.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
Two events in 2024 and 2025 reset the top of this table. The Ambani-Merchant wedding in 2024 outspent every other private celebration on record by a wide margin, and the Bezos-Sanchez wedding in Venice in June 2025 made the list at roughly $20 million to $25 million on spending alone.
No other 2025 or 2026 party we could verify beat the $7 million floor of this list. Costs for the Ambani events come from press estimates because the family has not disclosed them.
What drives these prices
- Talent is the biggest line. Rihanna, Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith account for a large share of several budgets.
- Distance multiplies cost. Flying hundreds of guests to Venice, Mumbai or Brunei costs more than the party itself.
- Weddings dominate. Five of the ten events are weddings, because families will spend on a ceremony in a way they will not for a birthday.
- Nobody publishes a bill. Every figure comes from vendors, press estimates or contemporary reporting, which is why we show ranges.
The habits that let people afford this
Short audio lessons on money, mindset and discipline, in the Alux app.
Get the Alux app →FAQ
What is the most expensive party ever thrown?
The Ambani-Merchant wedding of 2024, reported at about $600 million across its pre-wedding events and the July ceremony, though no official figure has been released.
What was the most expensive party in history before that?
The 1971 Persepolis celebration in Iran, whose cost is disputed: the court said about $17 million, while later claims go as high as $120 million.
What is the most expensive wedding in the West?
On our list, the 2004 Mittal-Bhatia wedding in Paris at roughly $55 to $60 million at the time.
How much did the Bezos wedding cost?
Estimates run from about $20 million to $25 million on spending to $46 to $56 million when local economic impact is included.
Who performed at the Sultan of Brunei’s 50th birthday?
Michael Jackson, who was reportedly paid $17 million, at an amphitheatre built for the event in July 1996.
Are these costs confirmed?
Mostly no. Hosts rarely publish bills, so these are press estimates and we label each as reported or estimated.
How we put this list together
We ranked each entry by its verified sale price, using auction results and disclosed sales compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and change over time.
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Last updated: October 2026.
