Palermo residents are expressing mixed feelings about the wedding celebrations of British pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner, which are taking place in the Sicilian capital this weekend. While some locals are proud that the couple chose the city for their nuptials, others are frustrated by road closures, security cordons, and the disruption to daily life.
Concetta Chillemi, a shop owner near the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, admitted she did not know who Dua Lipa was until last summer, when the couple holidayed in Palermo after their engagement. “I got together with some of the other shop owners here and we listened to a few songs,” she said. However, she voiced scepticism about the event, saying, “Sometimes it feels as though the city is becoming a theme park.”
Clarissa, a bar worker who declined to give her surname, said she admires Dua Lipa’s music and activism but criticised the inconvenience. “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.”
Not everyone is unhappy. Concetta Picciuca, a hotel worker and Dua Lipa fan, said, “I think the event is a good thing because it’s good for the economy. Perhaps, like me, they should come to work by bike instead of by car.” The couple are staying at Villa Igiea, a five-star art nouveau hotel, and are expected to host around 200 guests, including celebrities such as Elton John, Kylie Minogue, and Harry Styles.
On Saturday, the celebrations will move to Bagheria, a town near Palermo, at the 18th-century Villa Valguarnera. Bagheria’s mayor, Filippo Tripoli, welcomed the global visibility, but some locals remain unimpressed. Maria Aiello, a clothes shop owner, expressed her discontent, though details of her comments were not provided.
