MUMBAI, July 11 (Reuters) - When the son of Asia's

richest person Mukesh Ambani marries this week, traffic in a key

part of Mumbai will literally stop for the four-day extravaganza

to be attended by a gamut of VIPs from former British prime

ministers to Kim Kardashian.

The wedding of the billionaire's youngest son Anant Ambani,

29, and his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29, is the

culmination of lavish celebrations throughout the year and

according to police, has been deemed a "public event" due to the

presence of international and Indian household names.

Raising the ire of locals, roads near the venue - the

upmarket Jio World Convention Centre owned by Ambani's Reliance

conglomerate in Mumbai's central business district - will be

open only for "event vehicles" between 1 p.m. and midnight July

12-15.

And that's despite Mumbai being notorious for its congested

traffic, particularly at this time of year during the monsoon

season.

Traffic already has slowed around the immediate area around

the venue which is being adorned with decorative lights and red

flowers. Marigolds and bright yellow lights have also been used

to decorate the trees outside Ambani's 27-storey mansion,

Antilia, in Mumbai.

Other celebrities expected to attend the event include

former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, U.S. wrestling

superstar and actor John Cena and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme,

according to a source with knowledge of the plans.

From politics, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and

Boris Johnson and India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are set

to attend, while the CEO of Saudi Aramco, Amin H Nasser, and

Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) Chairman Jay Y. Lee will be

among those representing the world of business.

Pre-wedding celebrations have also been star-studded.

Last week, Justin Bieber performed for hundreds of guests at a

private pre-wedding concert and in March, Rihanna sang at a

separate three-day event in western Gujarat state.

In May, a pre-nuptial luxury European cruise with 800

guests included Bollywood stars and cricketers.

Videos and photos of recent celebrations - including a video

of the Ambani family lip syncing and dancing to a Bollywood song

as well as one of Mukesh Ambani and his wife driving along with

their grandchildren - have flooded social media and are being

extensively covered by Indian media.

Friday's wedding will feature traditional Hindu rituals and

the reception will be held over two days. On Monday, there will

be a "special reception" for Ambani's household staff, according

to a document detailing the plans.

Rajan Mehra, chief executive of Club One Air, said the

Ambanis have hired three of his company's Falcon-2000 jets to

ferry wedding guests and expects 100 plus private planes to be

used for the events.

"The guests are coming from all over and each aircraft will

make multiple trips across the country," he said.

For some Mumbai residents, it's all too much with social

media buzzing with complaints.

"How can it be a public event? Surprised by special

treatment on the pain of normal public," asked one user on X.

"If it is a public event, can I go inside??," asks another.