Venice expects to rake in over $1.1 billion from Bezos-Sanchez wedding
Venice, Italy, can expect to reap a $1.1 billion reward from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's controversial, star-studded wedding, according to Italy's Tourism Ministry.
The ministry said Friday that the event, which has been met with fierce pushback from some Venetians, could provide a boost of almost 68% of the city's annual tourism turnover.
The three-day wedding, reportedly costing up to $55 million, has kept Venice hotels and other businesses busy.
Despite the economic boost, protesters have rallied against the nuptials of Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the third richest person in the world, and Lauren Sanchez, a former TV reporter, with one banner reading 'No space for Bezos,' and a tarp from Greenpeace that read: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.'
'We need to abandon the controversy and focus on opportunities,' said Daniela Santanchè, the minister of tourism in Italy, in a news release. 'This is not just a private event, but a concrete driving force for the entire sector. Venice has all it takes to transform it into an opportunity for relaunch and promotion.'
The 200 wedding guests include A-listers Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady and Kim and Khloe Kardashian.
The more than $1 billion economic boost is about a quarter of what pop singers Taylor Swift and Beyoncé managed in the United States over their months-long tours.
In 2023, Michael Grahn, then-chief economist of Danske Bank, cited Beyonce's 'Renaissance' tour as a contributor to inflated hotel and restaurant prices in Stockholm. The tour added more than $4.5 billion to the US economy, according to a 2023 analysis of concertgoers' spending by research firm QuestionPro.
Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour, which ran for nearly two years and hosted 152 concerts in 51 cities, wrapped up last December as the highest-grossing tour of all time. The tour's economic impact totaled roughly $5 billion in the United States, according to an estimate by QuestionPro. But that total only took into account direct spending, according to the US Travel Association, which estimates Swift's total impact likely exceeded $10 billion when factoring in indirect spending and when non-ticket holders make purchases outside of venues.
The $1.1 billion coming from the Bezos-Sanchez wedding is more than the $1 billion Las Vegas generated from the 2024 Super Bowl.
Italy has hosted other high-profile weddings, including in 2014 with Kim Kardashian-Kanye West in Florence and Amal Alamuddin-George Clooney in Venice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Engadget
42 minutes ago
- Engadget
Get three months of Audible for only $3 in this early Prime Day deal
Prime Day deals are already surfacing on Amazon ahead of the July 8-11 shopping event, and unsurprisingly, a discount on Audible is among them. We've seen similar offers pop up in the past, but considering Audible is one of the top audiobook streaming services out there, it's worth highlighting again. New Audible subscribers can get three months of access to the Premium Plus plan for $3. That's a total of $42 off for the whole three-month period. This is one of the best streaming deals around right now. The offer runs through July 31, which is actually a few weeks after Prime Day 2025 ends. Just keep in mind that if you don't cancel your Audible membership before the promotional period ends, it will automatically renew at the standard $15-per-month price. You can get three audiobooks to keep forever for a dollar each, plus access to thousands of audiobooks, Audible Originals and podcasts while your subscription remains active. $3 at Amazon Through the Audible Premium Plus plan, you'll receive one credit each month. You can use this to claim any audiobook you like on the platform, whether it's a bestseller, new release or something else you've been meaning to get to. You'll retain access to audiobooks you claim with credits even after your subscription expires. So, you're effectively getting three audiobooks for your permanent collection for three bucks. Audible members will be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts and sales too. They also get access to thousands of audiobooks, Audible Originals and podcasts as long as their subscription remains active.
The Verge
44 minutes ago
- The Verge
Kobo's Libra Colour and Elipsa 2E e-readers have dropped to some of their best prices
Kobo is discounting two of its best e-readers. The Kobo Elipsa 2E, a competitor to the Kindle Scribe, is available for an all-time low of $349.99 ($50 off) from Rakuten Kobo and Target. Meanwhile, the Kobo Libra Colour is available for $209.99 ($20 off) from Amazon, Target, and Rakuten Kobo. The sale runs through July 10th. The Kobo Elipsa 2E is my top pick for taking notes while reading. Its spacious 10.3-inch display lets you write directly on ebook pages — whether in margins, between lines, or wherever inspiration strikes — giving you a natural, paper-like experience. While Amazon's Kindle Scribe supports on-page writing, its tools are far more limited; you can't freely annotate, circle text, or mark up pages with the same ease. For anyone wanting an e-reader that doubles as a digital notebook, the Elipsa 2E offers a more intuitive and versatile experience. The Kobo Elipsa 2E is an ad-free 10.3-inch e-reader you can write on with the included stylus. It offers a whole host of useful features, like the ability to convert handwriting to typed text and a great selection of pen types. Meanwhile, the Kobo Libra Colour is worth a look if you want something smaller but still feature-packed. Like the Kindle Colorsoft, it features a compact 7-inch color display that makes highlights, annotations, and comics pop compared to monochrome screens. Although the Colorsoft's hues are slightly more vibrant, the Libra Colour provides a pleasant, easy-on-the-eyes experience. It also includes physical page-turn buttons and stylus compatibility (sold separately), allowing you to mark up text or jot notes — features that the Colorsoft lacks despite costing more. Kobo's main drawback is the lack of native Kindle book support, but it makes up for this with broader file format compatibility and support for direct borrowing from public libraries through OverDrive. Plus, if you don't mind a few extra steps, you can always convert Kindle books for use on Kobo devices. The Libra Colour is one of the newest e-readers from Kobo and one of the first with color. With both OverDrive and Pocket support, it gives readers considerably more options than e-readers from bigger brands like Amazon. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025: live stream electropop icon online for FREE
Charli XCX might be headlining The Other Stage rather than the Pyramid but make no mistake, as the biggest British artist on the planet right now, she's Glastonbury 2025's star attraction. You can watch Charli XCX at Glastonbury live streams from anywhere with a VPN and for FREE. Charli XCX's Glastonbury 2025 set takes place on Saturday, June 28.► Start time: 10:30 p.m. BST / 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 a.m. AEST (Sun.)• FREE STREAM — BBC iPlayer (U.K.)• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free The timing of Brat's release led to the extraordinary sight of the hottest artist at last year's festival being confined to the tiny Levels stage. One year on, we can't believe she isn't right at the top of the billing. The BBC is believed to have had a major say in the decision, though a dispute between the broadcaster and Neil Young — whose headline set takes place at the same time — means it's ended up having to televise Charli XCX after all, instead of the folk legend. It's a mess worthy of Brat. Again, timing prevented Brat from really taking Glastonbury by storm last year. While Charli XCX busted out a handful of tracks from the album, including "Von Dutch" and "Talk Talk", mega-hits "Apple", "360" and "Sympathy Is a Knife" were held in reserve. The electrop phenomenon's setlist is, of course, being kept under wraps, but her recent performances suggest she'll draw mainly from her newer material. However, 2012 banger "I Love It" remains her signature closer. Strap in for a slime green all-out assault on the senses. Below are all the details you need to watch Charli XCX and live stream Glastonbury 2025 for FREE and from anywhere. Charli XCX's set is one of only a select few that will be televised live. It will be shown on free-to-air BBC One, with dedicated coverage beginning at 10:30 p.m. BST. However, we'd recommend tuning in on BBC iPlayer instead, as the platform will be live streaming all of the build-up, including Deftones' warmup set. As well as laptops, the service also has apps for smartphones, tablets and a wide range of streaming devices. Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025 as if you were back home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options and we'll show you how to access it below. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the Charli XCX set on your usual subscription? You can still tune into the Other Stage headliner and all other Glastonbury coverage live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear as if they're back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN. ✅ FREE Amazon gift card worth up to $50/£50✅ 4 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch Glastonbury live online with our exclusive deal. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. but want to view BBC iPlayer as usual, you'd select a U.K. server from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head over to BBC iPlayer and enjoy! The Glastonbury Festival is only shown in the U.K., so you won't find Charli XCX's Glastonbury set in any international listings. There's good news if you're currently on holiday in the U.S., Australia or Canada from the U.K., however. You can download one of the best VPN services and tap into your FREE home coverage of Glastonbury 2025 through BBC iPlayer. We recommend NordVPN. Or if you're content only to listen to Charli XCX's set, you can do so via the BBC's 'pop-up radio station' BBC Radio Glastonbury via BBC Sounds on web browsers. Pyramid Stage The Other Stage West Holts Stage Woodsies Park Stage Acoustic Stage Avalon Stage We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
