BILLIONAIRE Jeff Bezos is set to tie the knot with fiancée Lauren Sanchez – kicking off lavish celebrations aboard his $500 million superyacht.

The couple will be joined by their celebrity friends ahead of their wedding aboard the yacht in Venice’s waters this Friday.

The week-long pre-wedding festivities are estimated to cost roughly $15 to $20 million (£12 to £16 million).

Around 200 guests are expected to attend the wedding of the 61-year-old Amazon founder and 55-year-old journalist fiancée.

Before the wedding event in Venice, local activists unveiled significant protest banners that said, ‘No Space for Bezos’ and ‘If You Can Rent Venice for Your Wedding You Can Pay More Tax’.

They have also staged canal-blocking and waterside protests in a bid to stop the world’s richest man from tying the knot in their city.

Event organizer Federica Toninello shared with The New York Times that activists had obtained leaked information about the couple’s plans and intend to disrupt the festivities, including a particular event supposedly planned at the historic Misericordia.

Addressing a gathering of 300 people, Toninello declared: “Bezos will never reach the Misericordia,” further stating, “We will fill the streets with our bodies and block the canals with lifesavers, dinghies, and our boats.”

Protesters say tourism in Venice has driven housing costs sky-high, forcing many locals out of the region.

But the couple’s wedding organisers, Lanza & Baucina Limited, earlier hit back at suggestions that the couple’s lavish wedding plans are not respectful of locals.

The organisers said in a statement to Page Six: “From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events.”

The wedding planning company has worked with stars like George and Amal Clooney, as well as Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault.

Bezos proposed to Sánchez in 2023 aboard the yacht, presenting her with a 20-carat pink diamond ring worth $2.5 million.

The luxury vessel, Koru – named after the Māori word for “loop” or “coil” – symbolises new beginnings.

Measuring 417 feet in length with three towering masts over 230 feet high, Koru is currently the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International.

The superyacht can reach speeds of up to 17 knots per hour, powered by twin, 1,500hp MTU diesel engines.

It cruises comfortably at 15 knots – about 2.25 knots faster than the average for similar vessels.

Said to have been first commissioned by Bezos in 2018, the yacht was built by Dutch yacht maker Oceanco near Rotterdam and delivered to Gibraltar in April 2023.

The superyacht’s support vessel reportedly added another $75 million to the already staggering $500 million cost.

Its exterior design was completed by Dutch company Dykstra Naval Architects, while London-based company Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi completed its interior design.

Koru can host up to 18 guests in nine staterooms, along with around 36 crew members.

Its full features remain unclear, but Architectural Digest reports that Koru includes multiple outdoor lounging areas, three jacuzzis and a swimming pool.