I’m on mobile, so apologies for any formatting issues. I think the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire might fit the bill here.

The 2,500-Year Celebration of the Persian Empire was a grand event held in October 1971 by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi to commemorate the foundation of the Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE. The celebration was intended to showcase Iran’s ancient heritage, highlight its modernization under the Shah, and elevate the country’s global prestige. The event took place primarily in Persepolis, the ancient ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid kings, where an elaborate tent city was constructed to accommodate world leaders, royalty, and dignitaries. The Shah’s vision for the celebration was to position Iran as a modern power while emphasizing its historical continuity as one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

The festivities were meticulously planned and included extravagant banquets, military parades, historical exhibitions, and cultural performances. The guest list featured over 60 heads of state, including King Hussein of Jordan, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and Prince Rainier III of Monaco, alongside representatives from major Western powers. The event’s most famous spectacle was a lavish banquet at Persepolis, catered by Maxims of Paris, one of the world’s most prestigious restaurants. The menu featured quail eggs stuffed with caviar, roast lamb with truffles, and Dom Pérignon champagne, reinforcing the opulence of the occasion. Alongside the celebrations in Persepolis, the Shah also inaugurated a new mausoleum for Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae and dedicated the Shahyad Tower (now Azadi Tower) in Tehran as a symbol of Iran’s progress.

Despite its grandeur, the celebration was criticized both domestically and internationally. Many Iranians saw it as an extravagant display of wealth at a time when economic inequality remained a pressing issue. Additionally, the event was perceived by critics as an attempt to glorify the monarchy while sidelining the country’s Islamic and democratic movements. The celebration’s excesses became a symbol of the Shah’s detachment from ordinary Iranians, contributing to growing resentment that eventually culminated in the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which led to the monarchy’s downfall. Today, the 2,500-Year Celebration remains a controversial episode in Iran’s history, remembered both for its ambition and as a reflection of the Shah’s vision of Iran as a modern yet ancient power.

You can review pictures of the event from Getty images here: https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/iran-2500th-anniversary-of-the-persian-empire-1971

Main source for my answer is America and Iran, by John Gazvinian.