Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos' wedding

Celebrities in superyachts sail into Venice this week for the three-day wedding party of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, despite irate locals who say the UNESCO city is no billionaire’s playground.

- Lauren Sanchez

The tech magnate and journalist have reportedly invited about 200 guests to their multi-million dollar nuptials in the Italian city, which are expected to kick off Thursday and end Saturday with a ceremony at a secret location. The security details are under tight wraps amid rumours the rite may take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia, or at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse.

Bezos, 61, and former news anchor and entertainment reporter Sanchez, 55, are said to have booked out the city’s finest hotels for a star-studded guest list rumoured to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Ivanka Trump. At least 95 private planes have requested permission to land at Venice's Marco Polo airport, the Corriere della Sera said. And Bezos’ mega-yacht, Koru, is likely to moor off the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, which sits just opposite St Mark’s Square and has reportedly been booked in its entirety for the period.