Weddings are all about extravagance and grandiosity and recently at India’s most talked about wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, both were in abundance. The opulent displays of wealth and the star-studded guest list including the likes of Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian made the headlines as the Indian billionaire heir recently tied the knot. Before the big day, the Ambani family’s pre-wedding festivities included Rihanna and Justin Bieber as performers. Wondering what it takes for an A-list singer or band to perform at your wedding? Take a look at the highest paid and most expensive wedding performers ever.
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani brought the city of Mumbai to a standstill with elaborate wedding festivities for his son, Anant Ambani, who is set to marry on July 12. Notably, their pre-wedding festivities have already become the talk of the town, with large-scale events comparable to private concerts held across India and Italy. From having Rihanna perform at the Indian ceremony to commissioning 90s pop sensation Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli to take the stage at their European cruise party, the family has spared no expenses when it comes to making the wedding a grand affair.
Adding to this already-extensive list of superstar performers, Justin Bieber recently delivered an hour-long performance at the sangeet (a pre-wedding musical party) of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, which was held in Mumbai on July 5. Here’s how much every performer was reportedly offered for performing at the Ambani pre-wedding festivities.
Like the Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding, some of the most expensive weddings in the world have also featured musical acts from famous performers. Bands like Maroon 5 and The Rolling Stones are known to be favourite picks for the celebratory receptions. Planning your own super spectacular wedding banquet? Check out the most expensive wedding performers in the world for hire.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 24 million
It’s not an easy feat to get Beyoncé to perform at a wedding, considering her astonishingly high fees. While there is little information available about the singer’s private performances, one of the most publicised pre-wedding events that she has performed at was back in 2018, for the celebration of Isha Ambani’s wedding. As the sister of Anant Ambani, Isha is also the daughter of Mukesh Ambani.
Throwback to Beyoncé’s last private concert in India, when she performed at Isha Ambani’s wedding (2018) pic.twitter.com/TEqe9Lu33r
— ́ (@rumiyonce) January 20, 2023
According to reports, Queen Bey was offered upwards of USD 4.7 million at the time. However, this fee appears to have swelled to a much higher figure. In 2023, Forbes reported that the singer was paid USD 24 million for a private performance at the launch of Dubai hotel, Atlantis The Royal. Queen Bey’s remuneration for the event has since been recorded as the highest-paying private concert in history.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 4 million
Sir Elton John’s discography features several songs that are fitting for a newlywed couple’s first dance; thus, the artist is a top choice for the wealthy when it comes to wedding performances. The iconic British singer, whose net worth is reportedly USD 650 million, was previously known for charging an eye-watering GBP 1 million for every hour of his time for a private performance. In 2023, multiple reports claimed that the Rocket Man singer had upped his wedding performance fees, and is now believed to be pocketing upwards of USD 4.8 million per gig.
The legendary singer is also known to be a favourite performer for royal weddings. He famously sang Candle in the Wind at the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Considering his close connection with the British Royal Family, it makes sense that he also serenaded the crowd at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reception, with the couple’s elaborate nuptials also making it into our list of biggest royal weddings in history.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 5 million
Jennifer Lopez may have famously said “Love Don’t Cost a Thing“, but it is worth noting that it costs a colossal amount of money to have her perform on your special day. In the past, the singer seemingly added significant amounts to her net worth after taking up wedding singing gigs with an enormous payday. One of the most famous weddings that Lopez has performed at was the 2016 wedding of Said Gutseriyev and Khadija Uzhakhovs. Said Gutseriyev is the son of Russian oil billionaire, Mikhail Gutseriyev; and so, it comes as no surprise that the singer was paid a whopping USD 5 million. Lopez’s other private performances include the 2011 wedding of Uzbek businessman Azam Aslanov’s son, where she pocketed over a million dollars, making her one of the most expensive wedding performers of all time.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 3 million
Hiring any internationally-acclaimed singer for a wedding comes with a huge price tag, and in the case of a Grammy-winning artist like Bruno Mars, the fee is somewhere upwards of USD 3 million. Motorola CEO Greg Brown hired the Uptown Funk singer to play at his son’s swanky nuptials in 2021. As per Fox Business, Mars was offered USD 3.2 million for the gig. Another lavish wedding that saw the singer serenading a newlywed couple was the extravagant Vienna wedding of UAE businessman Sunil Vaswani’s daughter Sonam Vaswani to Navin Fabiana. For this private performance, the singer reportedly pocketed upwards of USD 2 million.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 3.6 million
Besides earning through album sales and tours, several artists have significantly added to their net worth by performing at private ceremonies such as weddings, birthdays, and corporate events. In the case of Christian Aguilera, the singer made headlines in 2005 when she earned a massive payday by singing at the wedding of Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko and Miss Yugoslavia Aleksandra Kokotovic. Her whopping fee of USD 3.6 million to perform three songs at the wedding put her on the list of the most expensive wedding performers in the world.
By 2010, Aguilera was charging a staggering USD 1 million for an hour of singing, which she did at a private Halloween party. It is safe to assume that her performance fee for weddings has since surged further, likely above USD 3 million.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 8 million
While it may be the toughest wedding band to land, The Rolling Stones has also been deemed the most expensive musical act to ever perform at weddings. The rock group, originally consisting of Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and the late Charlie Watts reportedly charged USD 8 million to sing at wedding receptions in 2009. With over a decade having passed since then, it’s likely that the band’s payday is expected to have seen a huge uptick.
One of the most appealing factors of the band is that age has not stopped them from rocking out to massive crowds. At 80, the group’s frontman Mick Jagger is still a stellar performer; for fans of the band, it’s a dream come true to have the legendary rock group perform at their wedding, irrespective of their astonishing fees.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 1.5-2 million
Besides rock groups like The Rolling Stones, pop band Maroon 5 has also carved a place for itself as a crowd-favourite wedding band. In the music video for Sugar, Maroon 5 captured moments from two real weddings where the group blindsided brides and guests with their surprise performances. The adorable video makes a good case for why they make for a great musical act for a wedding.
Given their vibrant discography, which includes party hits as well as romantic ballads, Maroon 5 has long been a popular choice that ranks among the highest-paid wedding performers with fees ranging from USD 1.5 to 2 million. The band has also featured prominently in the long list of international artists roped in by the Ambani family for their wedding festivities. Several years ago, the group delivered an electrifying performance at the post-wedding party of Mukesh Ambani’s older son, Akash Ambani. At the party, Akash and his bride Shloka Mehta shared a sweet dance as Adam Levine sang She Will Be Loved.
Maroon 5 also made the headlines for being invited to deliver a private performance at the highly-publicised USD 59 million-dollar Parisian wedding of Madelaine Brockway, a 26-year-old car dealership heiress from Florida. While the details of their payday for the lavish wedding are undisclosed, it was reported that the band was also offered a residence at the Palace of Versailles during the ceremony.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 1 – 1.5 million
Beyond solo performers and bands, wedding DJs are also a go-to choice as musical acts for receptions and wedding parties. Songwriter, DJ, and record producer Mark Ronson has served as the wedding DJ for several A-list stars including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
Beyond serving as a DJ at the weddings of Hollywood’s finest, Ronson was also hired to perform at the wedding of The Beatles legend, Paul McCartney. Ronson famously refused to accept payment from the pop icon, and in exchange asked him to “bless some song” on his album in future. Impressively, the Ronson-McCartney collaboration did happen on McCartney’s 2013 album New. Considering his status as a celebrity-favourite wedding performer, the British DJ isn’t as easy to book for private performances; however, reports have suggested that it could cost upwards of USD 1 million to enlist him for a wedding gig.
Fees for private musical acts: USD 3 million
Mariah Carey’s impressive music catalogue boasts the likes of Always Be My Baby, Fantasy, and We Belong Together, all of which are perfect for celebrating weddings. In 2017, the hitmaker received a staggering USD 3 million to serenade the guests at the wedding of Russian billionaire Valery Kogan’s granddaughter, making her one of the highest-paid wedding performers in the world.
Carey also recently also took to the stage at the lavish wedding celebrations of fashion mogul Umar Kamani in South of France. Considering the price tag attached to the no-expenses-spared wedding, which racked up a total cost of USD 25 million, Carey presumably bagged a huge sum for her performance. At the wedding party, the singer dazzled on stage wearing a crystal-embellished Dior dress while belting her greatest hits.
(Main and featured images: Justin Bieber/Instagram; Elton John/Instagram)
Rihanna and Beyoncé are among the most expensive performers to hire. Both the musicians reportedly demand a staggering payday upwards of USD 8 million.
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Senior Digital Writer, People, Entertainment and Fashion
Surabhi Redkar is a pop culture enthusiast with a keen interest in celebrity fashion and beauty trends. A post graduate in multimedia journalism from Birmingham City University, she has worked with several ..Read More
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