Usher and DJ Cassidy to perform at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s star-studded wedding after-party in Venice
A major music star is set to headline the final celebration for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s lavish wedding weekend in Venice, Italy, capping off days of festivities with a high-energy dance party.
The couple, who tied the knot in a black-tie ceremony on Friday, June 27, have lined up Usher and DJ Cassidy to perform at their last big bash on Saturday night, June 28, according to a source speaking to People Magazine.
“It’s the culmination, the final big party,” the source told People, noting that the newlyweds wanted a night centred around music to send off their guests after a packed week of celebrations.
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“Tonight is all about the music. It’s the culmination, the final big party,” the source said. “First night was dinner, second was the ceremony with Andrea Bocelli’s son performing, and tonight’s the full-on dance floor.”
Cassidy, known for his star-studded party sets, has previously performed at events for Oprah, Kris Jenner, and Kourtney Kardashian, making him a favourite for the couple. Usher, another close friend, will also take the stage for the night’s entertainment.
The wedding festivities have drawn a who’s who of celebrity guests, including Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tom Brady.
The celebrations began earlier in the week with a welcome party featuring gourmet Italian fare, followed by a ceremony serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, and now culminate with a dance party for the ages.
Despite concerns from some locals about disruptions, a source told People Magazine that Venice “is still running as normal” even with the influx of high-profile visitors.
The three-day gala, estimated to cost $US50 million ($A76 million).
For days, members of the “No Space for Bezos” movement have been trying to spoil the party, hanging anti-Bezos banners on the iconic Rialto Bridge and laying out a huge canvas in central Saint Mark’s Square telling the tech-tycoon to pay more taxes.
While some residents and activists see Bezos’ extravaganza as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venice’s businesses and the city authorities have welcomed the event, claiming a major boost for the local economy.
“Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business,” the city’s mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters in an interview.
“Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality, he is more Venetian than the protesters,” said the mayor, adding that he hoped Bezos, who donated 3 million euros ($A5.4 million) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business.
Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and City Hall had only learned about his donations after they had already been made.
Bezos, Amazon’s executive chair, became engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott.
- with Reuters
