Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez are hosting a lavish three-day wedding celebration in Venice, Italy, starting Thursday and concluding Saturday, with about 200 guests expected to attend. The event has drawn significant attention due to the city’s ongoing struggle with overtourism and local protests against the influx of wealthy visitors.
Okay.ng reports that the wedding’s exact location remains secret, with speculation pointing to either the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia or the Arsenale shipyard complex.
The couple has reportedly booked the city’s top hotels and invited a star-studded guest list, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump. At least 95 private planes have requested landing permission at Venice’s Marco Polo airport, and Bezos’ $500 million superyacht, Koru, is expected to moor near San Giorgio Maggiore island, which has been reserved exclusively for the event.
Venice faces mounting challenges as it grapples with an overwhelming number of tourists—up to 100,000 overnight during peak times and tens of thousands more arriving daily, many from cruise ships. Local activists argue that such high-profile events exacerbate the city’s depopulation and strain on infrastructure. Environmental groups like Greenpeace have criticized the environmental impact of the wedding, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to climate change.
Sanchez has faced criticism for advocating climate action while participating in a space flight aboard Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket earlier this year. Protesters have expressed their discontent with banners in St. Mark’s Square, including one depicting Bezos with the message: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.”
The No Space for Bezos movement, led by Tommaso Cacciari, opposes using Venice as a private venue, warning that such events threaten the city’s survival. Cacciari said, “This is condemning Venice to a definitive death,” and protesters have threatened to disrupt the wedding by blocking canals with boats and inflatable animals.
Venice’s tourism councillor Simone Venturini downplayed concerns, stating the wedding is “one of many events” the city hosts and involves a relatively small number of people. The couple has also made charitable donations and employed local artisans, with traditional Venetian pastries and Murano glass featured in the celebrations.
While some locals oppose the event, others welcome the economic boost. Michele Serafini, a resident, said, “The wedding brings money to the city of Venice, and that can only be a good thing.” The debate reflects the broader tension between preserving Venice’s heritage and accommodating global luxury tourism.
