Michael Jackson’s Thriller jacket, Princess Diana’s dresses and $3m Banksy painting go under the hammer

The King of Pop’s famous white glove, Princess Diana’s landmine campaign shoes, a rare Prince guitar and an original Banksy painting are among hundreds of celebrity treasures going up for auction in Abu Dhabi

Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller jacket, Princess Diana’s designer gowns and the shoes she wore during her famous landmine campaign are going under the hammer in a major celebrity auction.

Bidding has opened on hundreds of pieces of music, film and royal memorabilia, with some expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of pounds when they are sold in Abu Dhabi next month.

Among the star attractions is the red-and-black leather jacket Jackson wore in his Thriller music video, alongside the white glove and loafers he wore during his first televised moonwalk performance in 1983.

The glove alone is expected to fetch between US$600,000 and US$800,000 (£460,000–£615,000 approximately), while the moonwalk shoes carry an estimate of US$60,000 to US$80,000.

Jackson’s Thriller loafers are valued at US$30,000 to US$50,000, although auction house Julien’s has not publicly disclosed an estimate for the famous signed jacket.

More than 100 items associated with the singer will be offered, including costumes from his Bad tour and the pinstripe suit he wore for Smooth Criminal.

Princess Diana’s wardrobe is another major attraction, with two evening gowns expected to fetch up to $400,000 each.

They include a navy Catherine Walker dress worn to a fashion awards event in 1995 and a midnight-blue silk gown designed by Victor Edelstein, worn to London’s Serpentine Gallery in 1993.

A pair of loafers Diana wore during her 1997 visit to Angola, when she walked through a cleared minefield to raise awareness of landmine victims, is expected to sell for US$20,000 to US$30,000.

A Ralph Lauren shirt associated with her anti-landmine campaigning carries an estimate of US$10,000 to US$20,000.

The auctions will also feature possessions belonging to some of music’s biggest stars, including a metallic-blue guitar owned and played by Prince, valued at up to US$600,000.

A leather jacket worn by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain at the Reading Festival in 1991 and during the Nevermind album photoshoot is expected to fetch US$20,000 to US$40,000, while Amy Winehouse’s personal songwriting guitar carries a similar estimate.

One of the most valuable lots is a signed Banksy painting, Brace Yourself!, featuring the Grim Reaper, which is expected to sell for between US$2 million and US$3 million.

Film fans will also have the opportunity to bid on a specially commissioned replica of Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet, made from official design files and set with six natural gemstones totalling nearly 180 carats. It is a collector’s replica rather than a prop used in the films.

Clothing worn by actress Sharon Stone at the Cannes Film Festival, Golden Globes and Academy Awards will also feature, alongside an outfit from her 1995 film Casino.

Other big names featured in the auction include Madonna, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Eric Clapton, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and U2, with rare costumes, handwritten lyrics, guitars and personal possessions going under the hammer. Collectors can also bid on memorabilia linked to Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Steve Jobs, Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, alongside props from Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean and Game of Thrones.

Ken Citron, the chief executive of Julien’s Auctions, said: “From Michael Jackson’s revolutionary influence on music and style to Princess Diana’s enduring humanitarian legacy, these collections represent far more than iconic objects, they are tangible pieces of our shared pop culture history.

“Through this inaugural experience in Abu Dhabi, we are creating a new platform where collectors, enthusiasts, and cultural tastemakers from around the world can connect with the legends and moments that have shaped generations.”

The auctions will take place from 7 to 9 December at Rosewood Abu Dhabi, marking the American auction house’s first Celebrity & Pop Culture Experience in the United Arab Emirates.

Online bidding opened yesterday, ahead of the live sales which begin with Jackson’s possessions on 7 December, followed by wider pop culture memorabilia on 8 December and Diana’s collection on 9 December.

Selected items will be displayed at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental from 29 November to 5 December, coinciding with the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix period.

READ MORE: Ferrari leads record €88m Monaco car auction. RM Sotheby’s staged the highest-grossing multi-car collector auction ever held in Europe, with a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider selling for €16.7m as the Monaco sale reached almost €88m. 

Do you have news to share or expertise to contribute? The European welcomes insights from business leaders and sector specialists. Get in touch with our editorial team to find out more.

_{Main image: Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller jacket and white glove, Princess Diana’s personal possessions, Prince’s blue Cloud guitar and an original Banksy painting valued at up to $3 million are among hundreds of celebrity treasures going under the hammer in Abu Dhabi this December. The star-studded auction also features memorabilia from Kurt Cobain, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Star Wars. Credit: Julien’s Auctions}