Overview

• San Giorgio Maggiore island has been reserved through June 29 with private tenders ferrying guests to Bezos’s superyacht Koru offshore.
• Organizers anticipate fewer than 200 attendees at the June 24–26 celebrations, including speculated guests such as Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry.
• Protesters have plastered “No space for Bezos!” banners on the Rialto Bridge and threatened peaceful blockades over concerns about over-tourism and strained city services.
• Event coordinators have booked 60 water taxis and sidelined hundreds of gondolas to streamline guest transport during the festivities.
• Local leaders say the influx of affluent visitors will boost revenue for hotels, restaurants and gondoliers, but critics warn it highlights Venice’s over-tourism and housing shortages.