Madonna Slammed For Booking Ancient Ruins Of Pompeii For Her 66th Birthday Party For ‘Absurd’ Price Of $33,000

Madonna is facing backlash after plans to throw a birthday party on the ancient ruins of Pompeii have been leaked.

The singer reportedly booked the Teatro Granda, a 2,200-year-old amphitheater in Pompeii, for her 66th birthday on Aug. 16. She invited around 500 A-list celebrities to join her celebration, including Katy Perry and Italian Minister For Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano.

The amphitheater is believed to have been booked by an American events company for €30,000 ($33,000), a price that many Italians are offended by.

Michele Campsi, general secretary of the Italia Nostra heritage association, told The Times that “€30,000 is absurd. It’s like giving Pompeii away.”

However, officials from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii released a statement this week denying the plans.

“Regarding the rumors circulating in the press these days about a ‘mega-party’ of an international celebrity with 500 guests in the excavations of Pompeii, as well as about an alleged rent of €30,000 for the Large Theatre, the Archaeological Park specifies that these are unfounded reports,” they said in a translated release.

Madonna has been making headlines this year after a lawsuit was filed against her and Live Nation over a delayed start time for her Celebration Tour show in Brooklyn.