Venetians are a patient people, they’ve had to be in order to survive the many invasions they’ve suffered over the centuries: Ottomans, Napoleon, Austrians and Nazis–and that’s not to mention those in centuries long past. But the latest invasion, that of tourists, is the one that is breaking the storied Serenissima as the hordes clog streets and canals, destroying the very beauty that is attracting them like the proverbial flies.
Celebrities and the uber-wealthy are adding to the influx of tourists as they splurge on destination parties that go on for days and wreak havoc on the locals. When George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin in the Queen of the Adriatic, in 2014, it started a trend among celebrities. But Venice is fighting back.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have chosen the iconic city as the location of their upcoming wedding on June 24th. The Venetians have two words for the celebrity couple: “Go Home!”
The sentiment among many Venetians is that the city has become a “playground for the rich,” and this lavish event is seen as a stark symbol of the ongoing issues caused by mass tourism and the commercialization of their historic home. In short, Bezos and Sanchez have become the face of overtourism and the Venetians’ anger has spawned the campaign of “No Space for Bezos”. A grassroots movement that was the brainchild of teacher Marta Sottoriva, its posters and banners protesting the two-day affair scheduled for June 24–26, are visible throughout the city.
Activists argue that the event symbolizes the Disneyfication of Venice, where billionaires exploit the city while locals struggle with rising housing costs, overtourism, and economic displacement. Residents are concerned about street closures, the takeover of luxury hotels, and potential restrictions on water taxi access during a peak tourist season. Even with only 200 guests, the high-profile nature of the event and the associated security and logistics are seen as a major imposition.
No one denies that such events bring in welcome revenue, but that revenue only adds to the existing problems that locals have to deal with while further pushing Venice towards becoming a mere backdrop for wealthy visitors–a theme park rather than a living city for its residents. There’s a fear that the city’s authentic culture and local businesses are being replaced by tourist traps and luxury services. Some would say that this has already occurred, indeed, a long time ago.
Venice already grapples with a dwindling local population (around 50,000 residents, compared to 20 million annual tourists), soaring living costs, and environmental damage from mass tourism, particularly from cruise ships. The wedding is viewed as yet another example of the city being exploited for profit and spectacle.
Resentment is not only directed at the celebrities who want to make a splash in Venice on their big days, it is also directed at the local government. Sottoriva explained that, “There’s a lot of anger in the air because once again the council has enslaved itself to the logic of profit – our city has been sold to the highest bidder. Every time an event of this kind happens, the city comes to a standstill, certain areas become inaccessible and even more tourists arrive. This wedding really is the symbol of all that is wrong with Venice.”
The iconic bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore Church, where the couple is rumored to be exchanging vows, served as a major staging point for protest where a large banner with a red X through Bezos’s name was hung for all to see. On the day of the wedding–since by now it is a foregone conclusion that the movement cannot stop it– protest organizers have stated their intention to “line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with lifesavers, dinghies and our boats” to disrupt it, perhaps hoping that at least the disturbance may deter future celebrities.
Not everyone is on board with the protests. Some local businesses, particularly artisanal ones like a historic pastry maker and a Murano glass studio, are providing services for the wedding and see it as an opportunity to showcase Venetian heritage and bring “quality tourism” to the city. “Quality” clearly referring to “wealthy”. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has dismissed the protests as “shameful” and maintains that the 200-guest wedding (among whom are rumored to be Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey and Ivanka Trump) will not cause significant disruption.
The Bezos wedding has become a lightning rod for long-standing and deep-seated frustrations in Venice, highlighting the ongoing struggle of a fragile, historic city to balance its cultural heritage and the needs of its residents with the immense pressures of global tourism and the allure of the wealth and glamor associated with celebrities.
