The residents and businesses of Portofino and Genoa were infuriated because the Italian cities were closed off, and noisy guests attending a pre-wedding celebration for the younger son of India’s wealthiest man kept them awake.
Mukesh Ambani was commemorating his son Anant’s engagement to Radhika Merchant, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, on a luxurious four-day cruise from Palermo to the south of France and back. The cruise included stops in Rome, Portofino, Genoa, and Cannes for a series of festivities.
Although the wedding is scheduled for July 12th, celebrations commenced with a pre-wedding event in March in Ambani’s hometown of Jamnagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The cruise marked the second pre-wedding celebration and set sail on May 29th. It made a stop at Portofino on June 1st for a party named La Dolce Vita, intended to capture the essence of an Italian summer.
Despite a strict no-phones policy, videos from the celebration leaked, revealing that the American band Backstreet Boys and singer Katy Perry were among the entertainment hired for the festivities, to which at least 800 people were invited.
However, the celebration did not sit well with the locals and businesses in Portofino, as access to the entire bay was blocked, preventing residents and other tourists from visiting.
The charming village has always been a favourite location for celebrities seeking an idyllic setting for their weddings. Australian singer Sia and reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian both held their weddings here. Nevertheless, the village had never been shut down for any event before.
As reported by The Times, around 12 restaurants were offered €7,000 to €10,000 to cater for the occasion, which featured focaccia, paneer tikka, and beetroot goat cheese kebab.
However, Andrea Miroli, the manager of the renowned restaurant Il Puny, which has served notable personalities such as Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, Sir Elton John, and Silvio Berlusconi, stated that they were requested to serve lobster sandwiches and were informed only 20 days prior to the event.
“We were offered €10,000 just 20 days before the event,” Andrea Miroli told The Times.
“I find this offensive, bad-mannered and incorrect. I have my customers and an illustrious history to protect.”
Residents and tourists complained on social media about being unable to access Portofino areas.
“Many other celebrities and billionaires have celebrated in Portofino; none of them have ever removed access to the main point for others,” one user complained on X.
“Many billionaires have come to party here, but no one has ever taken away access to the main part of the city. Who do they think they are? They can’t just come in, throw their party, and make it difficult for people to do their daily chores.”
“I couldn’t see the main attractions of Portofino this weekend due to a private event organised by an Indian or Pakistani billionaire for his spoiled son. There have been many events hosted by billionaires in the past, but none have ever closed the area,” a tourist in the area at the time posted.
Residents of Genoa were disturbed by the loud music as a cruise ship docked in the port city early on Sunday, 2 June. Loud music blared from the ship's speakers, prompting locals to call the police at 4:30 AM to complain.
Despite the early hour and the disturbance, the police reportedly took no action, as stated in a report by the Italian website Il Secolo.
“The behaviour of the organisers was absurd. They kept half of Genoa awake with the high, unjustified volume for most of the night before it stopped at dawn,” said a local firefighter. “What’s worse is the Coast Guard did nothing despite being called at 4.30 am.”
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