Wedding celebrations often stick with people for the rest of their lives. Spending time with their future spouse and family, friends and loved ones, wearing fancy suits and gowns, partying in fabulous venues with luxurious decorations, eating fantastic food—and, of course, musical entertainment—all make for a fun and memorable time. Sometimes, a DJ is hired to play the couple’s favorite songs. Other times, live performers are employed, which was the case for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding in Western India.
Ambani’s father, Mukesh Ambani, is the wealthiest man in Asia, with an estimated net worth of $112.3 billion. He is also the ninth richest man in the world. Pre-wedding festivities lasted three days, and to start it off on March 1, the groom’s father hired beauty entrepreneur and singer Rihanna to be the entertainment at his son’s wedding. Before this, the last time Rihanna performed live was over a year ago at the 2023 Apple Super Bowl halftime show.
During an estimated 40-minute time period, Rihanna sang 19 songs, including “Umbrella,” “Stay,” “Diamonds,” “Stay,” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Consideration” and many more. The stage was illuminated by fluorescent lights and fireworks for the future bride and groom and their family. Over 1,200 guests were in attendance, including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump and Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan.
To honor Indian customs, Rihanna performed barefoot and donned a bejeweled pink hat with flowing material down the sides that matched her leggings. Towards the end of her performance, she invited the Ambani family onstage to celebrate with her. She also spent time in the crowd, dancing alongside Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor and singing along to songs that the DJ played.
While the exact amount she was paid for this performance is unknown, it is estimated that the amount was between $6 to $9 million. In the past, Ambani had hired Beyonce to perform for his daughter’s daughter, while the Chainsmokers and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin performed for his eldest son. During the previous months, Ambani’s company, Reliance Industries, partnered up with Sephora in India to expand its presence in the industry of cosmetics. A week after her performance, Rihanna’s cosmetic company Fenty Beauty debuted in India, further promoting diversity and inclusion, a marketing point since the brand’s inception.
As she was leaving for the airport after the first night of celebration, Rihanna told fans in a video posted to TikTok, “The show was the best. I haven’t done a real show in 8 years, so I want to come back.” Only time will tell whether or not this was just a lighthearted statement or a genuine yearning to return to the stage; either way, fans were thrilled to see that she has not yet forgotten where she came from.
