Michael Jackson's glove, Diana's gown and more worth up to Dh3.86m at Abu Dhabi auction

Dubai: A crystal-covered glove worn by Michael Jackson, loafers from the Thriller video and a navy gown Princess Diana wore to a New York fashion awards night are among the items heading to auction in Abu Dhabi this December.

Julien's Auctions, the Los Angeles house behind some of the most expensive celebrity memorabilia sales in history, is launching its first event in the region. Celebrity & Culture Week runs at Rosewood Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island from 5 to 10 December, and will be built around three live auctions.

The single most valuable lot announced so far, Diana's gown, is estimated at up to $400,000, or around Dh1.47 million.

When: 5 to 10 December 2026

Where: Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island

Price: highlight lots estimated from $10,000 (Dh36,725) to $400,000 (Dh1.47 million)

The week centres on three separate sales.

Michael Jackson: The Fashion Legacy Auction is billed by Julien's as the largest collection of Jackson's stage costumes, accessories and video-worn wardrobe pieces ever brought together for sale.

Princess Diana: Influence, Fashion, & A Royal Collection is Julien's largest Diana auction to date, continuing a run of royal sales that has produced several of the house's records.

Pop Culture Legends covers music, film and fashion, with property connected to Bruce Lee, Banksy, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Madonna, Eddie Van Halen and Sabrina Carpenter.

Alongside the auctions, a museum-style exhibition will bring highlights from all three sales into a single gallery, with talks, receptions and collector events running through the week. Bidding will be available both in the room and online.

The Jackson sale leans heavily on stage wear.

The bedazzled glove he wore for his March 2002 Vibe magazine cover shoot is estimated at $40,000 to $60,000, around Dh147,000 to Dh220,000. The loafers from the Thriller music video, sold with a personal letter to choreographer Michael Peters, are estimated at $20,000 to $40,000, roughly Dh73,000 to Dh147,000.

Two Bad World Tour jackets are also included. The first, a buckled jacket made by his personal designers Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, was signed and donated by Jackson to the T.J. Martell Foundation, and carries an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000, around Dh220,000 to Dh294,000. The second is one of only six light-up Thriller performance jackets ever made, estimated at $30,000 to $50,000, roughly Dh110,000 to Dh184,000.

The Diana items connect directly to some of the most photographed moments of her last years.

The headline piece is the midnight-blue Catherine Walker gown she wore in 1995 to present Liz Tilberis with an award at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York. It carries an estimate of $200,000 to $400,000, around Dh734,500 to Dh1.47 million.

The suede Selfridges driving loafers she wore during her 1997 walk through a landmine field in Angola are estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, roughly Dh73,000 to Dh110,000. A Ralph Lauren shirt she wore while visiting landmine survivors in Bosnia the same year is estimated at $10,000 to $20,000, around Dh37,000 to Dh73,000.

The most expensive highlight in the third auction has nothing to do with pop music. A guitar once owned by the American writer Mark Twain is estimated at $100,000 to $200,000, or around Dh367,000 to Dh734,500.

Kurt Cobain, with a guitar he played estimated at $60,000 to $80,000 and a stage-worn jacket at $20,000 to $40,000. The yellow nunchaku Bruce Lee used in the 1978 film Game of Death are estimated at $30,000 to $50,000, roughly Dh110,000 to Dh184,000.

Julien's has not published a total estimate for the week, and the full catalogues have not been released.

The 11 highlight lots announced so far carry combined estimates of $590,000 to $1.05 million, roughly Dh2.17 million to Dh3.86 million. With three full sales still to be catalogued, the final figure is expected to go considerably higher.

For context, Julien's holds several of the benchmarks in this market. One of Jackson's jewelled gloves sold through the house in 2009 for $420,000. A Diana evening gown fetched $1.14 million, around Dh4.19 million, at a Julien's sale in 2023, and a floral day dress she wore in 1988 sold for $520,000, roughly Dh1.91 million, last year. Estimates are frequently exceeded at these sales.

Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien's Auctions, told Artnet the icons were chosen for a global appeal that crosses generations and borders.

"There is also a special connection to Abu Dhabi and the region. Both Diana and Michael Jackson visited the UAE and were deeply loved and respected here. That makes their presence at the inaugural sale particularly meaningful," he said in a statement.

Nolan pointed to a collector base in the Middle East that is growing, younger and more varied than in the past, and said the region's appetite reaches beyond Western pop culture. He named Bollywood as a possible area for future sales.

"We are building an international destination where culture, storytelling, collecting, luxury, and innovation come together, bringing some of the world's most extraordinary cultural treasures to Abu Dhabi," Nolan said in the announcement.

His co-founder Darren Julien described the week as the next chapter for the house. "Together with the Rosewood Abu Dhabi, we are creating far more than an auction event," he said.

Remus Palimaru, managing director of Rosewood Abu Dhabi, said the partnership reflected Abu Dhabi's growing influence as a destination for culture, creativity and international exchange.

The week overlaps with Abu Dhabi Finance Week, and follows the debut of Frieze Abu Dhabi from 19 to 22 November. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi opens to the public on 11 December, the day after the auctions close.

It also follows Sotheby's arrival in the emirate. The auction house held its first Abu Dhabi sale series, Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week, last December, covering jewellery, watches and collector cars.

Anyone who wants to see some of the pieces without registering to bid will get an earlier chance. A selection of highlights will go on show in the lobby of Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental during Formula 1 week, in a pop-up exhibition open to the public.