What started as a fairytale wedding for popstar Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner has upset residents in Sicily. After a private civil ceremony in London, the couple celebrated with a three-day, high-budget party in and around Palermo, reportedly costing about £1.3 million (around $1.7 million or ₹16.51 crore).
Organizers used well-known local sites like Villa Valguarnera in Bagheria and the Galleria d’Arte Moderna. To keep the event private, authorities closed roads, restricted access to public areas, banned drones, and posted heavy security across parts of the city. Locals say those measures made everyday life difficult and turned parts of Palermo into an exclusive zone for visitors, which led to protests and public anger.
Residents say public spaces should not be privatized
Residents and activists said the grand-scale wedding festivities interfered with daily life. Protest signs appeared across the city center with messages such as “Palermo belongs to everyone” and “This square is not a private lounge.” After some posters were taken down, people answered with graffiti and more visible displays.
One activist group put out a short call to action that caught on: public spaces should remain accessible to all, not locked away for private profit. They asked people in the historic district to hang fake “welcome” posters from their balconies to push back against the commercialization of shared places.
Questions raised over how restrictions were approved
Local officials faced criticism over how they managed the wedding. According to a report in The Sun, they used special regulations to set up barricades and close parts of the old town center, setting aside sections for the ceremony. Several famous sites were booked privately: guests stayed at the luxury Villa Igiea, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna was closed for a private cocktail, and the main celebrations happened at Villa Valguarnera, a large historic estate in Sicily.
The report adds that the couple offered £5,000 (around $6500 or ₹6.3 lakh) to people affected by the disruption. An insider told the paper that the payments and the extravagance don’t fit the simple, romantic image being shown.
Celebrity guests arrive as celebrations continue
Despite protests outside the venues, the wedding celebrations went ahead as planned. About 200 guests from music, film and fashion flew into Sicily for the weekend, including Charli XCX, George Daniel, Kevin Parker, Donatella Versace and Mark Ronson. Early reports that Elton John would perform were correct — the star reportedly sang for the newlyweds.