Billionaire Jeff Bezos is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist, in a glitzy multi-day event in Venice.

While city officials haven’t confirmed the wedding details, Italian media have reported it will be a three-day affair between Tuesday and Thursday.

They also say it will take over the whole island of San Giorgio opposite St Mark’s Square – but that the location of the ceremony itself remains private.

Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger and Ivanka Trump are expected to attend, as is pop star Katy Perry, who joined Ms Sanchez in the all-female celebrity crew that travelled to space in April.

They and other celebrity guests – rumoured to include Leonardo Dicaprio and Eva Longoria – are expected to be joining the couple for parties on Amazon owner Bezos’s super yacht, worth about $500m (£371m), which will dock in the port of Venice for the wedding, Sky News Italy reports.

But not everyone in the iconic city is excited.

What protests are planned?

Members of the group No Space for Bezos are planning to disrupt celebrations and have already made clear that, to them, the billionaire is not welcome in the city.

They unfurled a massive banner on 12 June from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica with Bezos’s name crossed out.

They are planning another demonstration on 28 June where they will block guests from arriving at a party by blocking the canals with boats and their bodies.

They say the protest will be peaceful.

“We want to take back our city that we are seeing constantly being privatised and taken away from us,” Federica Toninelli, an activist associated with No Space for Bezos, told Sky News.

Why are there protests?

Protesters do not have an issue with the marriage itself but with what they say is the “privatisation” and “exploitation” of the city.

“He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there,” said Alice Bazzoli, also an activist with No Space for Bezos.

Both told Sky News that the event will close parts of the city and make it difficult for locals to get around, as well as posing environmental concerns with the use of yachts in the canals.

“This is not what Venice needs. This is not what a city that is already suffering from overtourism needs,” said Ms Toninelli.

The city has long struggled with high tourism numbers.

Millions come to see a World Heritage Site famous around the world for its medieval architecture, crammed into a picturesque canal network.

But this pushes up the cost of living for locals and tends to create only low-paid temporary employment.

“It’s going to bring money, yes, but we are not going to see any money,” said Ms Toninelli.

The protests are also linked to wider issues around affordable housing and a dwindling local population in Venice’s historic centre.

“Do we want our city even more invaded by tourists, by oligarchs, and people who buy and privatise the city, or do we want services, jobs, health services, schools, universities? Do we want to live in the city like normal people, or sell it to the best offer?” said Ms Bazzoli.

What has the response been to the protests?

The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, says he is “honoured” that the city is hosting the event.

“Once again Venice proves to be a world stage,” he said.

“Those 20 people who are putting up posters are clearly capitalising on [Jeff Bezos’s] image.”

The city of Venice has previously denied that the event would disrupt locals, saying water taxi services would run normally and that only 200 guests had been invited.

“Venice is used to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts,” the city said, citing G20 and G7 summits, the Architecture and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events.

They say the city has previous experience of hosting big events successfully.

Is this the first celebrity Venice wedding?

No, George and Amal Clooney famously got married there in 2014.

The actor arrived at his ceremony at the Aman Grande Canal Hotel on a boat, alongside guests including Matt Damon and model Cindy Crawford.

The city also hosted world leaders for the 2021 G20 summit, as well as the annual Venice Film Festival.

Is tourism a problem in Venice?

Venice has been struggling with the impacts of overtourism – when the number of visitors to an area worsens the experience of being there for locals or other tourists.

There were around 50,000 people living in the historic city centre in 2023 when there were around 4.9 million tourist arrivals, according to the data gathering website Statista.

In 2024, it became the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists, with officials carrying out random checks to make sure people beyond entry points have a QR code.

As it stands, those visiting between April and July for a day trip pay a standard fee of €5 – unless they have booked less than four days before their visit, in which case they must pay double.

The city has also put in place a size limit of 25 people for tourist groups to reduce crowds.

Where else have there been tourist protests?

Venice isn’t the only European city where locals are frustrated with tourist numbers.

Protesters in Barcelona sprayed tourists with water guns as part of demonstrations over the number of visitors.

Anti-tourism activists have also staged protests in other popular holiday destinations across Spain, including Palma, Malaga and the Canary Islands, saying visitors drive up housing costs and lead to residents being unable to afford to live in city centres.

Festival season is under way, and leading the charge: the Isle of Wight Festival – dubbed “Europe’s Woodstock” – with headliners including Sting and the Stereophonics.

Former N-Sync star Justin Timberlake – a man who’s crooned about his love of “dance, dance, dance” and has recently become a meme for his mic-centric moves on stage – is a headliner too.

Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival will see headline acts including Olivia Rodrigo, the 1975, and Charli XCX.

But along with the headline stars and hot weather, politics has also found its way into the spotlight.

Youth culture and political expression have long been part of the festival experience, with Vietnam, nuclear disarmament, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine all attracting attention over the decades.

This year, with geopolitics seemingly at a boiling point, the Israel-Hamas war has had far-reaching implications. As the Israel-Iran war follows in its wake, the conflict has prompted strong opinions on both sides.

Irish-language rap trio Kneecap‘s upcoming Glastonbury Festival set has become a flashpoint for robust debate, drawing protests from those calling for their set to be cancelled, as well as those championing their right to speak out.

The root of the contention? Kneecap band member Liam O’Hanna, 27, was charged with a terror offence earlier this year, accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.

Hezbollah was proscribed in its entirety in 2019 because the government classed it as a terrorist organisation and said its attacks on Israel were “attempts to destabilise the fragile situation in the Middle East”.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he did not think Kneecap’s planned Glastonbury Festival performance was “appropriate” and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” the band’s performance at the festival next weekend.

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Although “removed” from playing at Scottish music festival TRNSMT next month due to “safety concerns”, Kneecap have remained on the Glastonbury bill, prompting the question: Is the stage a place for political opinion?

‘If we think we’re separate from world events, we’re kidding ourselves’

Faithless star Sister Bliss, who performed at the first of the re-instated Isle of Wight Festivals and is performing again this year, tells Sky News: “If we think that we’re separate from world events, we’re absolutely kidding ourselves. Our lives are tied intrinsically to everybody else’s on the planet.

“You can have certain people that express that in a way that is perhaps a tad crass, but I love that lyrically – especially on our records, in songs that we’ve made over the last 30 years – I feel that you can combine the personal and political in a way that’s not tub-thumping or simplistic. These issues are very nuanced that are going on in the world right now.”

Speaking to Sky News at the Isle of Wight Festival, Clean Bandit star Grace Chatto says artists are right to use the stage to amplify their voice.

“It is such a great place for political speech, like when Jeremy Corbyn spoke at Glastonbury – it was the most attended thing of the whole event, and it just brought such a feeling of unity and hope in that field on that day”.

The 39-year-old cellist adds: “Then recently, Kneecap and Massive Attack have just been so important, I think, and amazing.”

Earlier this month, Massive Attack, who have previously been critical of Israel, included footage of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his family as part of a video montage at one of their concerts.

‘I’ve got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically’

Fresh from the Isle of Wight Main Stage, Mae Muller tells Sky News: “With what’s happening in Gaza, I know that’s been a very prominent theme with people saying, ‘Should we speak out about it or not?’ But that’s not political, it’s a human rights issue.

“It’s important for us to use our voice, because not everybody can. If we feel strongly about something, and we can stand behind it, I think [the stage is] definitely a place to do it.”

Muller, who represented the UK at last year’s Eurovision Song Competition – which became a highly politicised event despite the attempts of the organisers to keep it from the stage – continues: “Art is inherently political, and you can’t really escape it. And we shouldn’t want to escape it. It can be two things at once. [Politics] and fun can coexist.“

Meanwhile, Razorlight front-man Johnny Borrell, ahead of his Main Stage performance, tells Sky News: “Why not say what you believe in? Why does everyone get so precious?

“You can disagree with people. I’ve got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically – they think the earth is flat. I like them as people, but I completely disagree with them in politics”.

Borrell adds: “We don’t have a problem with disagreeing, but if everyone’s tapping away [mimes typing on a phone] and they’re like, ‘No, I’m really angry, I’m going to tap back,’ that’s a different thing. That’s what’s changed recently.”

A ‘disruptor’ festival, showing the world that anything is possible’

Regardless of the polarised times, Isle of Wight Festival promoter John Giddings, 72, says the Isle of Wight Festival experience should be a break from activism rather than a call to arms.

The 72-year-old, who represents artists ranging from Blondie to Phil Collins, told Sky News: “We’re purely about music and entertainment, and we are to switch off from politics for three or four days. We’re in the business of entertaining people, not preaching to people. And I don’t understand why people attempt to. That’s a different forum.”

Giddings, who relaunched the iconic festival after it was outlawed by authorities in 1970, fearing the crowds and rowdy behaviour could detract from the island, may be keen to avoid political controversy, but he’s keen to break the mould in other areas.

Following a long line of stars before him, including Bob Dylon, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, singer Emmanuel Kelly has become the first physically differently-abled artist to perform on the Isle of Wight Festival’s Main Stage.

The 31-year-old former X Factor star, who supported Coldplay on their Music Of The Spheres tour last year, says as far as accessibility is concerned, the Isle of Wight Festival is a trailblazer.

Kelly tells Sky News: “Somebody that’s different is on the stage and is able to show the world that anything’s possible.”

Echoing the festival’s early rebel roots, he credits it with being a “disruptor”, adding, “They make the extra effort to teach the others around the world to make the extra effort as well… It’s important and it’s happening and I’m excited for it.”

In response to Sir Keir’s call for Kneecap to be removed from the line up at Glastonbury next weekend, and whether the performance would be available on any BBC platforms if it goes ahead, a BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.

“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead up to the festival.”

The Isle of Wight Festival runs until Sunday 22 June, with the Glastonbury Festival kicking off on 25 June.

While cinemas are struggling and London’s West End has witnessed a significant escalation in ticket prices, creatives behind immersive experiences say their sector is experiencing “a gold rush moment”.

From shows built around obvious fan bases – such as Mamma Mia! The Party – to those working with established intellectual property, including Squid Game: The Experience, the UK has proven to be a world leader when it comes shows that make audiences feel part of the action, rather than just observers.

Little Lion Entertainment are the team behind two shows currently running in the UK: Pac-Man Live in Manchester and the Crystal Maze Live in London.

Its CEO Tom Lionetti told Sky News: “There has been a real boom in the experience economy… It kind of feels like a bit of a gold rush moment in this industry.

“It’s not nascent anymore, it really is a big industry and it’s getting bigger.

“West End theatre is incredibly expensive at the moment and even cinema can be expensive for what it is, so I think it’s about caring about the experience … you’ve got to consider value for money these days.”

Their Crystal Maze show challenges ticketholders to climb through tunnels and collect crystals just like contestants on the ’90s programme.

And it’s one of the longest-running immersive shows in the world, still going strong in London 15 years after the concept was first staged.

“The genesis really was this idea of breaking the fourth wall,” Lionetti says. “I was an actor and I come from a theatre background, but what we were really intrigued with was giving people agency so you become the star of the show.”

Last year, according to the Gensler Research Institute’s 2025 Immersive Entertainment & Culture Industry Report, the global market for immersive entertainment was valued at £98bn – and it’s projected to reach £351bn by 2030.

Despite times being financially tough post-pandemic, while cinemas have been struggling to put bums on seats, the continued popularity of experience events could indicate consumers are being a little more choosy about what they spend their hard-earned wages on.

Our eagerness to show off on social media could also account for some of what’s driving the boom, as well as the isolating nature of how technology-dependant we’ve become.

As Secret Cinema’s senior creative director, Matt Costain, explains: “Whether it’s competitive socialising or immersive experiences, people are look for something that offers them more… and this is an example of an activity where people can come together and have a sense of community.”

Secret Cinema – which combines live performance and film screenings – has been staging events for 15 years now.

In that time, they’ve partnered with major studios from Marvel to Netflix. Their latest offering will run from August see them bring Grease’s Rydell High to life.

Costain says: “When we first started this was niche, film fans who wanted to dress up and keep a secret… but immersive has moved mainstream and we’ve found ourselves one of two or three companies who’ve been in it since the beginning.

“Part of our job as artists is to help people remember that they really love to play.”

He jokes that those “who find it the most difficult to get started” are invariably the ones “at 11pm with their tie tied around their head and dancing on a table”.

While there are many shows working with established intellectual property (IP), there are also some hugely creative original works also being produced – Storehouse being one of those.

For 16 weeks, attendees at Staged in Deptford, which was once the archival store for Rupert Murdoch’s News International, will be guided through a story that takes place inside a ‘digital memory palace’ that supposedly houses every story, message, memory, and meme since the dawn of the internet.

Produced by Sage & Jester, its lead producer Rosalyn Newbery explains: “You’re not moving into a theatre with infrastructure, put it this way, we literally had to bring electricity to the venue, bring power to the venue, bring water to the venue, none of that was there for us… it’s a big old job and there’s a lot of detail that you can’t take for granted.”

Over 7,000 crew worked more than 57,000 hours to build the set.

Getting a show of this size and scale off the ground is a feat in itself. As creative director Sophie Larsmon says: “There are a lot of people trying to get these projects off the ground and there are a lot of projects that never see the light of day…because of the hoops that have to be jumped through for licensing and financing.

“It takes huge amounts of creative effort, I’ve seen a lot of projects where quite late in the process the green light is taken away.”

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While some creators might struggle to access support because the work doesn’t fit into traditional cultural boxes, it is certainly an industry that’s worth shining a spotlight on.

As Larsom says: “The UK has always led the way in developing this form… I think people are cottoning on to the fact that this is a sector [that’s] going to be a big revenue earner for the UK.”

The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience is on in London’s West End, near Piccadilly Circus.

Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical is at Battersea Park from 1 August to 7 September.

Storehouse runs at Depford Storehouse until 20 September.