Dua Lipa‘s three-day wedding in Palermo has sparked fury from local residents, with some erecting posters in protest after it was claimed the city has been all but shut down for the big day.
The singer has jetted to Sicily to tie the knot with Callum Turner in a star-studded extravaganza, after celebrating their legal wedding in London on Sunday.
Ahead of the big day, it’s thought that Sicily’s two city centre squares will be closed for the wedding, with residents asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Locals have now made their feelings known, putting up posters in the city protesting the closures.
The posters in streets surrounding Piazza Croce dei Vesperi are in both Italian and English and read:’ Palermo is not for rent. Public spaces belong to everyone.
‘We reclaim the right to live them (sic), free from private profit.’
Another read: ‘Our square is not your living room,’ and ‘Palermo id not for the rich.’
The display echoed similar anger at Amazon boss Jeff Bezos multimillion wedding in Vencie last year which was also hit by angry protests – although non are expected in Palermo.
However, some local businesses are angry that they have had to close up early on a Friday evening – one of the most popular nights for going out in Palermo which has also become a magnet for British tourists in recent years.
Dua Lipa’s three-day wedding in Palermo has sparked fury from local residents, with some erecting posters in protest after it was claimed the city has been but shut down for the big day
The singer has jetted to Sicily to tie the knot with Callum Turner in a star-studded extravaganza, after celebrating their legal wedding in London on Sunday
Local reports say organisers have paid the local council £10,000 to hire out the Piazza Croce which has strict parking restrictions imposed around it until Saturday morning.
Businesses which face onto the square have been asked to close while residents whose balconies face onto the venue have been asked to keep their shutters down.
There are reports they have been offered 1000 Euro in compensation, but no one approached by the Daily Mail was willing to discuss the rumour.
One said: ‘We can’t say anything. We’ve had to sign an agreement. Our lips are sealed.’
On Thursday evening workmen could be seen stringing up lights along balconies I the square and a DJ set was also being built.
The Galleria Moderna opposite the square will close to the public at 2pm on Friday as it will also host part of the celebrations and has reportedly been hired out for £10,000.
There were also reports that a side street leading to the square would be blocked off from prying eyes with a huge black screen.
On Thursday night thick set security teams with black T shirts and impressive tattoos were patrolling the square keeping an eye on passersby and the media.
In an interview with local paper La Republica, Palermo’s mayor Roberto Sgalla expressed his delight at Dua and Callum choosing the city for their celebrations.
Highlighting how the couple had visited last year on holiday and fallen in love with the city, he said: ‘The fact that a world class artist like Dua Lipa chose Palermo to celebrate her wedding and did so just a year after her previous visit, confirms how attractive the city is today on an international level.’
Then responding to reports of grumbling locals he added: ‘I understand the inconvenience caused by events of this magnitude, and I’m sorry if anyone will have to face temporary restrictions.
‘We know that extraordinary events can leave some people unhappy because of their exceptional nature, these are limited time events.
‘All the measures adopted were designed primarily to ensure the safety of those involved and the public.
‘We must not forget the image boost Palermo receives from occasions like this. The international visibility generated by events of this magnitude helps strengthen the city’s attractiveness and generate widespread economic benefits.’
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Are Palermo residents are right to complain about disruption caused by Dua Lipa’s wedding?
Ahead of the big day, it’s thought that Sicily’s two city centre squares will be closed for the wedding, with residents asked to sign non-disclosure agreements
Locals have now made their feelings known, putting up posters in the city that include slogans such as ‘Palermo is not for rent,’ and ‘Our Square is not your living room’
Police and security have been preparing to throw a ‘ring of steel’ around Piazza Santa Anna and Piazza Croce dei Vespri in Palermo from Thursday to Saturday
The picturesque Palazzo Gangi, normally a huge draw for tourists, has been shut down ahead of Dua’s big day
However, officials are said to have put out a vague notice claiming there will be a ‘demonstration production’ instead of confirming the wedding
‘Officials have made up this ‘demonstration production in the square’ in Piazza Sant’Anna and Piazza dei Vespri as an excuse to put up barriers and keep pedestrians out’, a source said
Residents in Palermo are said to be split over the disruption in the area, with some cheekily asking if Dua would put on a free concert on the beach in return
More than 50 bodyguards have been drafted in to provide security for the event and streets around the Villa Valguanera have also been closed much to the annoyance of local businesses
Police and security have been preparing to throw a ‘ring of steel’ around Piazza Santa Anna and Piazza Croce dei Vespri in Palermo from Thursday to Saturday.
However, officials are said to have put out a vague notice claiming there will be a ‘demonstration production’ instead of confirming the wedding.
A source said: ‘It’s all very, very off limits. It’s top secret. The security is private but the local police are involved with the organisation of the event.
‘The squares they are going to close off are already pedestrian zones with no traffic.’
‘Officials have made up this ”demonstration production in the square” in Piazza Sant’Anna and Piazza dei Vespri as an excuse to put up barriers and keep pedestrians out’, they added to The Sun.
Residents in Palermo are said to be split over the disruption in the area, with some cheekily asking if Dua would put on a free concert on the beach in return.
Dua and Callum touched down in Sicily on Thursday ahead of their big day, with the couple unwinding at the £6,000-a-night Villa Igiea Hotel.
The hotel is on the outskirts of Palermo and is the base for the couple’s celebrations which kick off Thursday and the couple’s suite is described as ‘the crowning jewel’.
No expense has been spared, with the pair said to have booked an entire floor of suites at the hotel overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The couple paid 10,000 Euros to shut the Galleria Moderna in Palermo where they will hold a cocktail reception for guests on Friday afternoon.
The venue will close to the public for the afternoon and then reopen to visitors on Saturday morning after roadblocks have been removed.
A further 10,000 Euros has been paid to the local council at Bagheria where another reception will be held at the Villa Valguanera on Saturday at which Elton John is rumoured to be playing a set.
More than 50 bodyguards have been drafted in from Rome and London to provide security for the event and streets around the Villa Valguanera have also been closed much to the annoyance of local businesses.
One cafe opposite said: ‘I’m delighted they are getting married but for us it means a loss of business for the day. There is no point opening up because no one will be able to get to us.’
As part of strict security measures waste bins have been removed and temporary no drone fly zones have been established around the Galleria Moderna and Villa Valguanera.
One local who lives next door to Villa Valguanera – an Italo-Scot – told the Daily Mail: ‘I came out of my house to do some shopping and took a short cut past the villa and two mountain men jumped out on me.
‘They had black T-shirts on with the word security and asked what I was doing. I said I lived here and was going shopping. They thought I was a paparazzi.’
The cost of the wedding is said to be 1.5million Euros.
Antonio Rini, from Palermo Council’s tourism department, said: ‘For us having Dua Lipa’s wedding here is a great honour and the welcome they will receive will promote the city on the international stage.
‘Several big international artists will be arriving in Palermo for the wedding and this is a great return for the city.’
Insiders have been hailing the couple’s second nuptials as the ‘showbiz wedding of the year’, calling it Sicily’s most high-profile marriage since Al Pacino‘s Michael Corleone wed Apollonia Vitelli in 1972 classic The Godfather.
Top showbiz names including Elton John, Olivia Dean, Mark Ronson and Charli XCX, will be among the guests for the rumoured £1million bash.
On Monday, workers began blocking the entrances to the historic Palazzo Gangi in Palermo’s edgy Kalsa neighbourhood and erecting screens to prevent paparazzi getting shots.
A second civil ceremony is expected to be officiated by the Mayor of Palermo Roberto Lagalla.
No expense will be spared for the wedding with the couple estimated to be worth more than £100million thanks to Dua Lipa’s singing success and Turner’s acting career – he is lined up to be the next James Bond.
In advance of the wedding, Dua is believed to have travelled to Italy to meet Donatella Versace to finalise the details of the dress she is designing for the singer to wear on her big day.
Because of her longtime friendship with the designer, friends are convinced that Dua will wear a custom Atelier Versace gown.
One is rumoured to be inspired by the Kate Moss ‘wedding dress’ adorned with sparkling diamond decorations but there are said to be another 25 outfits for her to choose from.
On Sunday the pop star and actor held their legal wedding ceremony at London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall.
At their intimate nuptials, Dua radiated bridal elegance in a custom Schiaparelli skirt suit, white gloves, a Bulgari necklace and a wide-brimmed white hat, designed by milliner Stephen Jones.
The singer clutched a bouquet of Icelandic poppies and wore white Louboutin heels while strolling out of the registry office hand in hand with her new husband. They were showered with confetti by a handful of loved ones who witnessed the 30-minute ceremony.
