started · updated
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner's Palermo wedding triggers protests
Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner married in a private civil ceremony at London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall on 31 May and then staged a three‑day celebration in Palermo, Sicily, beginning 5 June. The festivities opened with an exclusive cocktail at Palazzo Gangi and continued at historic sites such as Villa Valguarnera in Bagheria and the 5‑star Villa Igiea hotel. Around 300 guests, including Elton John, Charli XCX, Mark Ronson, Donatella Versace and other music‑and‑fashion figures, attended.
The city centre was heavily cordoned off: Piazza Croce dei Vespri, Piazza Sant’Anna and surrounding streets were closed to traffic, security zones were erected and drone use was restricted. Local residents responded with protests, posting placards that read “Palermo is not for rent”, “Our square is not your living room” and similar slogans. Estimates of the wedding’s cost ranged from €1 million to over €4 million. A media story describing the venue as a former mafia nest drew condemnation and was later corrected. The event has generated wide international coverage while sparking a debate in Palermo about the privatisation of public space during high‑profile private celebrations.