Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s Palermo wedding party draws protests

Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner staged a three‑day wedding celebration on the Italian island of Sicily, centered on Palermo and extending to the nearby town of Bagheria. The couple, who have been together since January 2024, hosted more than 200 guests, including Elton John, Donatella Versace, Charli XCX and others, in venues such as a five‑star hotel, a historic Baroque villa and streets transformed with old‑timer cars and brass‑band music. The Italian daily “Il Sole 24 Ore” estimated the cost of the festivities at around four million euros.

The event sparked local backlash. A citizen group called Apro Palermo hung protest placards with slogans like “Palermo is not for the rich” and “Our piazza is not your living‑room”. Mayor Roberto Lagalla condemned media references to a “Mafia‑chic” image, saying they reduced the city’s modern identity to an outdated stereotype. Despite the criticism, the mayor also praised the celebration as valuable image‑building for Palermo. The couple’s small civil ceremony had taken place earlier that week in London’s Marylebone district.

Turner is frequently mentioned as a potential future James Bond, adding further media interest to the high‑profile wedding that blends celebrity glamour with local cultural tensions.