Justin Bieber has joined a list of international stars performing for the son of India’s richest man and his fiancée as they celebrate their upcoming wedding.
The Canadian singer flew to Mumbai to entertain Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant and their guests over the weekend.
The couple’s pre-wedding festivities have set high expectations. Their first party featured Rihanna, while the second, a Mediterranean cruise, included performances by The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Now, wedding-watchers worldwide eagerly await news of who will perform at the actual wedding this weekend. Rumors circulating online suggest Adele, but the family has remained silent on the matter.
No expense is being spared on the wedding of Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, making it one of the most extravagant Indian weddings ever. It even surpasses his daughter’s wedding, which featured a headline-grabbing performance by Beyoncé.
Last weekend, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant celebrated their sangeet ceremony, a night of music and dance before the wedding.
In true Ambani fashion, the event exceeded guests’ expectations. Mukesh Ambani, the head of Reliance Industries with an estimated net worth of $115 billion according to Forbes, and his family took to the stage with a choreographed dance to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s hit song, “Deewangi Deewangi.”
It was also another opportunity for wedding-watchers to scrutinize the outfits worn by the guests, including some of India’s most glamorous stars in dresses by the country’s top fashion designers.
The pre-wedding events have served as both concerts and fashion shows, with stars sharing professional shots of their outfits on social media before the parties.
The cost of the three parties so far is unknown, but it is rumored that Rihanna was paid $7 million (£5.5 million) for her performance, while Justin Bieber’s fee is said to be $10 million.
What exactly the weekend’s three-day event will entail remains to be seen. For some in India, it will be a relief when the wedding and its extravagance are over, while those in Mumbai will hope it doesn’t exacerbate the city’s already infamous traffic.
Radhika was keeping her cards close to her chest when she told Vogue US last month that planning was “going great”, adding: “I’m very excited to be married.”