Dua Lipa and Callum Turner land in Palermo for a three-day wedding celebration guarded by 50 bodyguards and a drone ban
The pop star and actor, already married in a London civil ceremony, have decamped to Palermo for a lavish celebration expected to draw Elton John, Charli XCX, and Donatella Versace.
Arrival in Palermo
Pop singer Dua Lipa, 30, and actor Callum Turner, 36, touched down in Palermo on Wednesday evening aboard a private jet from Luton, landing shortly before 22:30 local time. The couple, who were married in a civil ceremony at Old Marylebone town hall in London on 31 May, have now shifted the focus to Sicily for what British tabloids are calling the "wedding of the year." They were driven directly to the five-star Grand Hotel Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte property on Palermo's eastern coast, where they have taken up residence in the Donna Franca suite — a 105-square-metre space with a super-king bed, a large sea-view terrace, and artworks, priced at roughly 6,000 euros per night before extras.
La suite Donna Franca, dove risiede la coppia, può arrivare a costare circa 5mila euro a notte mentre le altre camere hanno prezzi che vanno dai 600 ai 4mila euro per una notte.
The guest list and security operation
Around 300 guests are expected to descend on the Sicilian capital between Friday and Sunday, with private-jet slots booked at Palermo airport and limousines waiting to ferry arrivals to their hotels. Many will stay at Villa Igiea, where an entire floor of suites has reportedly been reserved for the wedding party, as well as at the Grand Hotel et Des Palmes and the Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa. The couple were photographed on Thursday morning having breakfast on the hotel terrace, smiling and surrounded by friends, with Dua Lipa wearing a backwards cap, a long-sleeved blue shirt, and a pareo tied at the waist.
More than 50 bodyguards are travelling from Rome and London to secure the events. Organisers have imposed temporary drone flight bans over the celebration sites, removed rubbish bins near the venues, and required everyone involved in preparations to sign non-disclosure agreements. Security personnel have been filmed telling journalists that photographing even the exterior walls of Villa Igiea is forbidden.
"Signore che fa? E' vietato fare foto — dice un palestrato membro della sicurezza — Non importa che sia un giornalista, oggi è una giornata particolare."
The programme
Celebrations are set to unfold across two main acts. On Friday evening, the Galleria d'Arte Moderna (GAM) in central Palermo will host a cocktail reception, with the museum rented for a reported 10,000 euros. On Saturday, the party moves to Villa Valguarnera, a 17th-century historic building in Bagheria, for which the couple have paid approximately 100,000 euros in rental fees. Streets around the villa will be temporarily closed, and the areas of Piazza Sant'Anna and Piazza dei Vespri in Palermo's historic centre will be cordoned off to protect privacy.
A 90-metre yacht named "Nero," flying the Marshall Islands flag, has docked in Palermo's port — its weekly charter rate exceeds 490,000 euros — and may serve to host or transport guests shuttling between Palermo and Bagheria. Total direct spending on the wedding is estimated between 1.5 million and 3 million euros, with the broader economic impact, including transfers, dining, shopping, logistics, and staffing, potentially pushing the total to 4 million euros.
- Civil marriage ceremony at Old Marylebone town hall, London
- Couple arrives in Palermo via private jet from Luton
- Cocktail reception at Galleria d'Arte Moderna (GAM) in Palermo
- Main celebration at Villa Valguarnera, Bagheria
The fashion and the stars
Dua Lipa is expected to wear a custom Atelier Versace gown designed by Donatella Versace, with whom she has a long-standing professional and personal relationship. Among the options considered is a model inspired by Kate Moss's iconic wedding dress. For the London civil ceremony, Lipa wore a custom Schiaparelli suit with luxury accessories and a Stephen Jones hat.
Among the high-profile names expected to attend are Elton John, Charli XCX, Olivia Dean, and Mark Ronson. Persistent rumours suggest Elton John may deliver a private performance during the weekend. Kevin Parker of Tame Impala and his wife Sophie were already spotted at the hotel with the couple. Reporters from the Times, the Daily Mail, and the Sun have been dispatched to Palermo, feeding a steady stream of speculation through the city's narrow streets.
Palermo e Bagheria vengono raccontate non come sfondo generico, ma come destinazioni capaci di ospitare il lusso internazionale senza rinunciare alla propria identità.
