From a Rihanna Performance to a Meal for 50,000 — Inside the Pre-Wedding Party for Billionaire Heir Anant Ambani

A three-day bash will reportedly be attended by everyone from Ivanka Trump to Bill Gates

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky seen arriving in Gujrat, India for the Anant Ambani Wedding
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky seen arriving in Gujrat, India for the Anant Ambani Wedding. Photo:

Varinder Chawla / MEGA, Vijay Bate/Hindustan Times via Getty

Though billionaire heir Anant Ambani isn't set to tie the knot with fiancée Radhika Merchant until July, the over-the-top celebration is already underway underway, with everyone from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to Rihanna descending on Gujarat’s Jamnagar for a three-day, pre-wedding event.

The lavish, over-the-top celebration will be held at the luxurious Ambani Estate in Gujarat.

Rihanna — who, along with Punjabi music star Diljit Dosanjh and others, will reportedly perform at the event. The singer was seen arriving in Gujrat on Thursday, alongside A$AP Rocky.

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky seen arriving in Gujrat, India for the Anant Ambani Wedding. 29 Feb 2024 Pictured: Rihanna.
Rihanna seen arriving in Gujrat, India.

Varinder Chawla / MEGA

Magician David Blaine is also set to perform at the events, which will feature traditional ceremonies in a temple, per Reuters.

Those on the guest list for the weekend event — among them Ivanka Trump, Hillary ClintonBill Gates and members of Bhutan's royal family — have been provided with a detailed, nine-page dress code for the festivities.

The second day of the event will see guests enjoying a visit to the Ambanis' animal rescue, with a dress code that outlines a "jungle fever" theme and advises people to wear "comfortable shoes." Later that evening, attendees will take part in an array of activities at a "Mela Rouge" fete, wearing "dazzling" Indian outfits.

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky seen arriving in Gujrat, India for the Anant Ambani Wedding
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky seen arriving in Gujrat, India.

Varinder Chawla / MEGA

The third day's itinerary will allow guests to be “surrounded by the wonders of nature," the Times reported, for a "tusker trails" event where they will get up close to elephants, reptiles and big cats.

The three-day celebration will conclude with an elegant affair featuring a “Heritage Indian” dress code.

Reuters reported that 1,200 guests will attend the three-day event.

The Times of India reported that groom Ambani, 28, along with his father and his fiancé Merchant, 29, have extended the celebration into the surrounding village, personally serving a traditional Gujarati meal to some 51,000 residents of Jamnagar's Jogwad village ahead of the three-day spectacle.

Anant Ambani with Radhika Merchant during the inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Bandra (East), on March 31, 2023 in Mumbai,
Anant Ambani with Radhika Merchant.

Vijay Bate/Hindustan Times via Getty

Ambani is the youngest child of Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, which has interests in telecom, oil and gas, and retail and financial services. Forbes estimates his net worth at around $116 billion.

Merchant is the daughter of wealthy business magnate Viren Merchant, who is CEO of pharma company Encore Healthcare Private Limited.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The couple will officially tie the knot at a ceremony on July 12 in Mumbai.

This isn't the first time the Ambani family has gone all-out for a wedding. In 2018, Anant's sister Isha married her husband Anand Piramal in a ceremony that reportedly cost $100 million and featured a performance by Beyoncé.

A pre-wedding bash for the ceremony between Ambani's brother, Akash Ambani, and his wife Shloka Mehta — held in St. Moritz in Switzerland with a winter-wonderland theme — featured a performance by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and The Chainsmokers, GQ reported.

Related Articles