The Sicilians Are Already Fed Up With Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s Wedding

"I could understand if it was for the pope, but not for a singer," said one feisty Sicilian.

By Claire Guinan  |  June 5, 2026 | 5:41pm
Photos: Getty Images CelebritiesMisc. Goss Dua Lipa
The Sicilians Are Already Fed Up With Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s Wedding

On Thursday, the recently wed Dua Lipa and Callum Turner touched down in Palermo, Sicily, for their second, even bigger wedding of the month. The couple had a small civil ceremony in London last week, but now it’s time for the real thing, and then it will be time for the honeymoon, which will be promptly followed by even more vacationing, if I know Dua.

However, the couple’s big day is being met with protests, as the three-day wedding has caused inconveniences for Palermo locals after prime spots were closed to the public. If you remember from last summer, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding in Venice transformed the historic city into a “fortress-like operation,” and also drew heavy backlash from locals, so much so that the couple had to pivot venues at the last minute. But this is not an evil billionaire couple—It’s Dua and Callum! I mean, she’s practically Italian, and by that I mean she is a well-traveled citizen of the world and besties with Donatella Versace. 

According to a Friday report from The Sun, the city has blocked off multiple town squares for the events, where makeshift signs have cropped up (written in both English and Italian) reading, “Palermo is not for rent,” “Our square is not your living room,” and “Palermo is not for the rich.” After the wedding planners ripped down the signs, the protesters came back with graffiti. 

One local also told The Guardian, “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.” Understandable! If I had to walk a mile to work because of this, I would never listen to “Levitating” ever again, although it would be hard not to nod along if I ever heard it in the wild.

As I write this blog, the welcome reception is underway, and guests like Charli XCX, George Daniel, Troye Sivan, and Joe Alwyn have already been the target of paparazzi pics. 

Other possible wedding attendees include Elton John (who is rumored to perform at the reception), Kylie Minogue, Harry Styles, and Italy’s own Donatella Versace, as aforementioned. Can Donatella take one for the team and stop the fighting so Dua can have the wedding of her dreams? Grazie.

Also, I can’t confirm it, but I saw a tweet saying that guests were being gifted their own 12-piece Le Creuset cookware sets, probably valued at 10 bajillion dollars each. If true, that would make this the best wedding in the history of weddings. Sorry, Taylor and Travis.

 
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