The city’s three-day takeover comes as Venice grapples with the impact of overtourism on residents’ quality of life. For centuries this has been a slow city—you have to walk, or take a boat, to get anywhere—whether you’re rich or poor. To many, shutting down parts of the city for superyachts and private jets feels like an unthinkable contradiction to Venice’s egalitarian ethos.
Some Venetians are furious—partly because of the feeling that their city is being turned into Disneyland for rich tourists, and partly due to distaste for Bezos himself. “They block the streets to residents,” says one owner of a shop near the Arsenale, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Does this seem normal?”
Since Bezos and Sánchez arrived, there have been protests almost daily. In many ways, it’s not surprising: This is a city with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants besieged by up to 200,000 visitors per day. It’s a place whose population has dropped by around 70% in the past 70 years as the economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism. Locals’ homes have been turned into Airbnbs (nearly 8,000 of them, according to Inside Airbnb), decreasing supply and increasing rents. It’s where basic facilities are short on the ground (this week, I had to walk for 90 minutes to find a pharmacy open in the evening), and infrastructure is buckling (public transport is permanently overcrowded with tourists and their luggage, as well as residents and their shopping bags).
Due to the threat of protests, the venue for the final wedding reception on Saturday night was changed from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, also in Cannaregio, to the Arsenale.
Organizers are planning a final march—against billionaires, globalization, the “merching” of Venice, and war—on Saturday, June 28. Many locals support them. “If I saw him [Bezos], I’d turn my back on him,” says one Venetian who works at the Doge’s Palace.
But other residents hold more positive views. “It’s not just a dream wedding, it’s an event that spotlights Venice in an aspirational way,” says one restaurant owner, who also wished to remain anonymous. “At a time when we’re always talking about the city in terms of overtourism, an event like this gives us back an exclusive image. We need that kind of attention.”
“Bezos doesn’t change anything,” says Monica Poli, a city councilor for the right-wing Lega party, better known as “attenzione pickpocket lady” for her voluntary work stopping thieves from pickpocketing tourists. “These events are welcome—everyone works off it.”
Beyond local sentiment, visitors to Venice can expect little disruptions to their weekend travel plans. Rumors of the city’s water taxis being booked up aren’t true—only around 30 of over 100 have been taken out of service to attend to the celebs.
And while you won’t score a last-minute booking at a luxury hotel—five have been booked out for the 200 guests, including the Danieli and St. Regis—you’ll witness little chaos on the ground. Madonna dell’Orto has reopened, and you can even visit the Arsenale by buying a ticket for the Architecture Biennale, held in another part of the complex—though you won’t get anywhere near the party venue.
“Venice hosts hundreds of events of every kind this year without anyone objecting,” Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism councilor, said in a statement before the festivities began. “Is it Venice’s fault that it’s the world’s most beautiful city?”