Inside Madonna’s Exclusive 64th Birthday Celebrations in Sicily

No one does destination birthday parties like Madonna. The icon chose Sicily, Italy as the locale for celebrating her 64th on Tuesday, and per usual, she appears to have been thriving. “It’s my birthday week,” she says while twirling in a floor-length Dolce & Gabbana dress in a video posted to Instagram. “It’s my birthday every day of the week,” she then adds while cheers-ing with two of her “side bitches” whom she goes on to kiss with plenty of tongue. (Her manager Guy Oseary and the photographer Steven Klein also came along for the ride.)

While the real partying was adults-only, Madonna also hosted an outdoor dinner full of wine and traditional Italian fare. Guests included the talent agent Maha Dakhil Jackson, the creative director B. Åkerlund, and the artist and milliner Heidi Lee. (You may not know Lee’s name, but you’re undoubtedly familiar with her designs—namely the so-called “Endless Echo Hat” that makes the wearer appear as if they have eight faces.) Plus, as in recent years, Madonna also invited her children: Lola Leon, David Banda, Rocco Ritchie, and Estere and Stelle Ciccone.

In another post, Madonna showed that Dolce & Gabbana had also designed mini versions of her dress for her young twins. (The pair also matched in Dolce dresses at last year’s festivities.)

Of course, Madonna didn’t stop there. She also threw a Surrealism-themed party, and she and her artist pals embraced it with enthusiasm: The birthday girl wore a whimsical top hat and, in a nod to carried a Delvaux bag that read “ceci n’est pas un Delvaux.” (And brought out the grills she bought to celebrate turning 64.) There were sculptures and a full-on dance performance, and her kids in particular were loving it.

Since there’s another Leo in the family, the celebrations came on the heels of one for Madonna’s newly 22-year-old son Rocco Ritchie. She treated him to a cake in the hyperrealistic shape of a leather briefcase complete with fake gold buckles. “It’s a vintage bag for a vintage lover,” she says in a video posted by the designer of her floral satin dress, Luisa Beccaria. The clip also explains why the majority of the photos featured in her birthday tribute to Rocco are solo shots of herself: “Happy birthday to me,” she says before the video cuts to her son blowing out a candle.