Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s three-day wedding celebrations have sparked outrage in Palermo, with angry locals making their feelings known.
The Grammy-winning pop star, 30, married the potential new James Bond actor, 36, last weekend in a subtle yet stylish ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall.
With just select family members and friends in attendance, the A-list couple was showered with confetti upon leaving the London venue as husband and wife, beaming smiles on their faces.
Then, this week, the newlyweds headed to Sicily for a big blowout, with stars including Charli XCX, Tame Impala, Mark Ronson, and even Sir Elton John on the guest list for their party abroad. Donatella Versace also designed Dua’s second dress.
New pictures show the adorable pair living it up as they posed for photos, sipped cocktails, danced, and kissed on the first day of their extravaganza.
But not everyone is so thrilled about the spouses ‘taking over’ the city, with posters and graffiti informing Dua and Callum: ‘Our city is not for rent.’
Ahead of the £1.5million second leg of their wedding, which has reportedly ‘shut down’ the island capital, they have been accused of making people’s home city a ‘living room’ for their showbiz pals.
Across walls and monuments, Sicilians have plastered signs with messages reading, ‘Palermo is not for rent’ and ‘Our square is not your living room’.
Indeed, two town squares have been closed to the public this week, with those nearby made to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to avoid any juicy details leaking.
Roads have also been closed off, and no-drone fly zones will be enforced to ensure the pair’s privacy, with a heavy police presence enforced.
‘Public spaces belong to everyone. We reclaim the right to live [in] them, free from private profit,’ one resident blasted to The Sun.
Before Dua and Callum’s big bash could get underway, it’s believed organisers tore down the posters, only irritating residents further and leading to them writing directly on walls instead.
Anti-tourist protesters behind the messaging wrote online: ‘If you live in the historical centre and you too want to pay tribute to Dua Lipa, hang this welcome poster from your balcony.’
Offering their opinions to The Guardian, the likes of bar worker Clarissa said: ‘I really like Dua Lipa’s music and admire her for all the activism she does.
‘But while it’s a pleasure to hold the celebrations in Palermo, it has brought a lot of problems – for example, for three days we’ve been forced to park miles away and walk to work. It’s not right to block the city – I could understand if it was for the Pope, but not for a singer.’
Meanwhile, Italian media have long been hyping up the lovebirds’ arrivals, declaring it the ‘wedding of the year’, and fans of the two have defended their move, arguing it’s all ‘good for the economy’.
As for how the wedding extravaganza was arranged, it’s believed that authorities simply told locals there was to be a ‘demonstration production’, rather than sharing any information about a wedding.
A source later explained that the whole thing is ‘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,’ they added to The Sun.
‘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.’
What do you think of Dua and Callum ‘shutting down’ Palermo?
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I agree with the protests
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It’s good for the economy
It’s expected that approximately 200 guests will land in the city for Dua and Callum’s celebrations, with the happy couple soaking up any possible moment of luxury by staying in the five-star £6,000-per-night Villa Igiea Hotel, which has also been shut off from the public.
Following Friday’s celebrations at the Palazzo Gangi and Galleria d’Arte Moderna, the wedding party will then move to Bagheria on Saturday and continue at the baroque estate Villa Valguarnera, where a second ceremony will take place.
Basically, no expense has been spared by Levitating hitmaker Dua, whose net worth is said to be $45m (£33.7m), and actor Callum, whose net worth is reportedly $10m (£7.5m).
A source previously revealed: ‘Dua and Callum have put together the most incredible itinerary for their celebrations in Sicily.
‘The last-minute preparations have been hectic — and she’s been back and forth to Italy for dress fittings — but it’s all coming together perfectly.’
They added that it was to make for a ‘true fairytale wedding’ for the couple, who got serious in early 2024 and confirmed their engagement last July.
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