The yacht is docked, the paparazzi have arrived, and Dua Lipa and Callum Turner, the celebrity newlyweds set to celebrate their wedding in Sicily this weekend, have been spotted at their five-star hotel.
Two days of celebrations will begin Friday in the city of Palermo and the neighboring town of Bagheria on the northwest coast of Sicily to mark the wedding of 30-year-old pop star Lipa and 36-year-old actor Turner, which took place on May 31 in London.
Organizers are keeping mum about the VIP event for the British couple, but rumors are swirling about a star-studded 300-person guest list that could include Elton John, as well as Lipa's wardrobe, which will consist of 26 different dresses.
According to Lipa's Instagram page, the Grammy-winning singer for "Levitating" and "One Kiss" and the star of "The Boys in the Boat" and "Masters of the Air" spent last summer in Palermo, where they strolled the city's historic streets, enjoyed fresh seafood pasta, and frolicked on a boat.
On Friday morning, paparazzi spotted the happy couple—Lipa wearing shorts and a backwards baseball cap—on the terrace of the luxurious five-star Villa Igiea in Palermo, where, according to a video published in the daily newspaper La Stampa, all the rooms in the hotel were booked.
Two squares in Palermo's historic center have been closed to traffic, where festivities are expected to begin. According to local media, the program includes a visit to the Palermo Gallery of Modern Art, which closes early, at 2:00 PM.
The celebrations will then move to the small town of Bagheria, east of Palermo, where 18th-century nobility built luxurious Baroque summer villas, including Villa Valguarnera, where a party will be held on Saturday.
Named "Sicily's most romantic getaway" by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the villa is frequently used for weddings, special events, and as a backdrop for film and television shoots, including the 2025 Netflix miniseries based on the best-known Sicilian novel, The Leopard.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke got married at this villa in 2020.
According to a city order, the entire area in front of the villa will be closed to traffic starting at 8:00 a.m. Saturday.
«"A lot of press representatives have arrived: foreign, Italian, a lot of journalists," Bagheria Mayor Filippo Tripoli told AFP.
Local chefs and florists were hired for the event—"a significant amount of labor for various services," he said.
A local source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that those involved in Palermo were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, something that was not the case with Bagheria.
— Tabloids are chasing rumors —
On Thursday, Italian news agency ANSA reported that the 90-metre yacht Nero, whose website boasts "luxury on every deck" including a cinema, beauty salon and gym, was already moored in Palermo harbour, raising speculation that it could be ferrying guests from Palermo to Bagheria.
«"British tabloids have sent correspondents to Palermo who, without being completely certain, report on all the rumors circulating in the alleys of the historic center," wrote the ANSA news agency.
As for the mayor of Tripoli, he brushed off the fact that he was not invited to the party.
«"She's an international rock star," he said of Lipa.
«Some people are even comparing her to the new Madonna – maybe it’s a bit early for that, but I think she’s also quite impressive.».
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