Portofino and Genoa residents and businesses seethed with anger as the Italian cities endured shutdowns and disruptive noise from attendees at a pre-wedding celebration for the younger son of India’s wealthiest individual.
Mukesh Ambani hosted a four-day luxury cruise from Palermo to the south of France and back, celebrating his son Anant’s engagement to Radhika Merchant, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. The cruise included stops in Rome, Portofino, Genoa, and Cannes for a sequence of parties.
The wedding, scheduled for 12 July, commenced with a pre-wedding celebration in Mukesh Ambani’s hometown of Jamnagar, in March. Reportedly, Ambani splurged $150 million on a three-day gala for over 1,200 guests, featuring bejeweled elephants and a performance by American singer Rihanna.
The cruise marked the second pre-wedding celebration and embarked on 29 May. It made a stop at Portofino on 1 June for a party titled La Dolce Vita, aiming to capture the essence of an Italian summer.
Despite enforcing a strict no-phones policy, videos leaked from the event, unveiling that American band Backstreet Boys and singer Katy Perry were among the entertainers hired for the celebration, which had at least 800 attendees.
The bash angered Portofino locals and businesses because the entire bay was blocked off, denying access to residents and other tourists. This picturesque village has been a favorite spot for celebrities seeking an idyllic wedding location — both Australian singer Sia and reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian tied the knot here — but it had never been closed down for any event before.
According to reports, nearly a dozen restaurants were offered amounts ranging from €7,000 to €10,000 to cater the event, which was planned to include focaccia, paneer tikka, and beetroot goat cheese kebab.
However, Andrea Miroli, manager of the renowned restaurant Il Puny, which has served celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, Sir Elton John, and Silvio Berlusconi, revealed that they were requested to provide lobster sandwiches and were only notified 20 days prior to the event.
Andrea Miroli expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that they were offered €10,000 only 20 days before the event. He described the situation as offensive, disrespectful, and inappropriate, emphasizing the need to protect both his customers and the restaurant’s esteemed reputation.
One user on X complained that many other celebrities and billionaires have celebrated in Portofino without ever restricting access to the main point for others.
Many billionaires have frequented this party venue, yet none have previously restricted access to the main part of the city. Who do they believe themselves to be? They cannot simply arrive, host their party, and impede people from carrying out their daily tasks.
A tourist in the area expressed frustration, stating that they were unable to see the main attractions of Portofino over the weekend due to a private event organized by an Indian or Pakistani billionaire for his son. While acknowledging past events hosted by billionaires, the tourist noted that none had previously closed off the area.
While local entrepreneurs typically view events of this scale as beneficial, as they stimulate business activity, the Ambani pre-wedding bash did not garner any favor.
A local tour guide in Portofino expressed disappointment at the closure of the city for a private event. Their livelihood relies on tourism, and they regarded this weekend as a significant setback.
The raucous nature of the party also impacted Genoa as the cruise ship arrived at the port city early on Sunday, 2 June, blasting loud music from its speakers.
Residents reported the disturbance to local police, who allegedly took no action despite being called at 4:30 am, according to the Italian media outlets. A local firefighter criticized the organizers’ behavior as absurd, stating that they kept half of Genoa awake with unjustifiably loud volume for most of the night until it ceased at dawn. Additionally, the Coast Guard allegedly did nothing despite being contacted at 4:30 am. Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s wealthiest individual, has investments in oil, retail, telecommunications, and various other sectors.
