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Fans are calling it “America’s royal wedding” – and it will take New York by storm.
A pop singer Taylor Swift is an American soccer player Travis Kelce are expected to celebrate their wedding this weekend at Madison Square Garden in one of the biggest celebrity events in years.
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Swift is one of the most popular singers in the world, who has a group of fans known as “Swifties”. Kelce is one of the greatest players in the NFL, having won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. Since dating in 2023, theirs has been one of the most watched romances of recent times.
Fans have traveled from across the United States to pump up the energy around Madison Square Garden, and the excitement has extended for weeks on everything from the venue to the guest list to the already secret wedding.
“He’s very important in everybody’s life,” said Alyssa Heinen, who was outside the stadium Thursday afternoon. “We grew up with Taylor Swift, and just seeing her now finding love — I feel like it’s an inspiration to a lot of women. It’s great to see her so happy.”
Another fan, Amanda Powell, said she and two friends flew to New York from Little Rock, Arkansas, “just to celebrate Taylor’s wedding and congratulate her on her big day”.
Here’s what we know about the wedding so far.
When and where is the wedding taking place?
The festivities are expected to take place on Friday at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York. According to the city permit obtained by The Associated Press, the event is scheduled to begin at 5pm (21:00 GMT) and may continue until 4am (08:00 GMT) on Saturday.
Neither Swift nor Kelce have publicly confirmed the marriage, but it has been a closely guarded secret in New York. The AP news agency reported on the wedding plans based on information from a law enforcement official who briefed security, city permits and several people familiar with the event.
For days now, vehicles and workers have been coming and going from the site, setting up tents and carrying equipment, with many fans wondering how the site will be transformed into a wedding.
Why is the wedding at Madison Square Garden?
At first glance, Madison Square Garden, the indoor arena most associated with concerts and sporting events, seems out of the ordinary. But for one of the most photographed families in the world, it also offers a rare opportunity: privacy.
The stadium has a secure entrance and few windows, which makes it easy to protect famous guests from the artists and crowds gathered outside. It is one of the few places in New York that can hold a guest list that is said to be around 1,000 people.
And although it is famous as a place for sports and entertainment, this is not the first wedding to take place there. Singer Sly Stone married actress Kathy Silva during a concert at the Garden in 1974, while more than 2,000 couples attended the big wedding there in 1982.
Who is invited?
Swift joked on TV in October that “everyone I talked to” would be invited to the wedding.
The rumored guest list will include A-list musicians, actors, athletes, and other celebrities.
Among those pictured arriving at Thursday’s dinner were Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Jack Antonoff, Lena Dunham, Bradley Cooper and Adam Sandler. Other rumored guests include Gigi Hadid, Zoe Kravitz, and Emma Stone.
NFL players, including George Kittle and Micah Parsons, are also expected to attend, as well as reporter Erin Andrews and her former NHL husband, Jarret Stoll.
According to Page Six, Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw will perform at the festival, with Ed Sheeran also rumored to be taking the stage.
What do we know about dinner?
The festivities began Thursday evening with the city’s permit announcement.
About 100 guests arrived in black SUVs before disappearing into the main tent, where they entered Madison Square Garden through hidden tunnels out of sight.
Pink curtains were also hung over the windows so that no one could see inside.
Outside, fans gathered behind bars hoping to catch a glimpse of the arrivals, but tight security meant not much was seen through the door.
What security measures are in place at the wedding?
For days, Madison Square Garden has been surrounded by walls, fences, privacy tents and barricades to protect visitors from being seen. Guests are said to have signed non-disclosure agreements and will not be allowed to use their phones during the festivities.
Reuters reported seeing signs informing attendees that by entering the event, they had agreed to remain confidential and not to discuss the attendees or other guests.
The New York Post reported that 100 police officers have been sent to the event. Al Jazeera contacted the Mayor’s spokesperson Zohran Mamdani for comment, but he did not respond.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, on Wednesday, would not confirm that the wedding took place on Friday at Madison Square Garden, but said that the police will follow the events there.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about the wedding by the media several times.
“We are fully prepared. There is nothing more to share than that,” Mamdani said at a press conference on Wednesday.
How will the wedding affect New Yorkers and the population on July 4?
The wedding is taking place over New York’s busiest weekend of the year, with Fourth of July celebrations and FIFA World Cup events expected to bring crowds to the city.
In April, New York City issued a statement saying it would not approve permits to close roads in designated areas from July 3 to July 8, 2026, citing the expected number of visitors.
But on Wednesday night, the city approved a one-lane road closure that contained the same day’s memo, according to documents first obtained by The AP.
Winick Productions, a company that produces red events, received a permit for the roof outside the Garden, according to public records.
The incident comes amid scorching heat affecting the city and its transport infrastructure. NJ Transit, which runs near Penn Station – across the street from Madison Square Garden – has delayed and canceled some services due to the heat. The transit system urged passengers to avoid “unnecessary travel” amid the heatwave that has engulfed the region.
Businesses near Madison Square Garden are counting foot traffic ahead of the wedding, according to Helen Woods, director of marketing for Tír na Nog and The Joyce Public House, both venues for the upcoming Argentina vs Cape Verde game.
Woods told Al Jazeera that although they say the roads will be open to pedestrians, they are not. He said the police allow reserved people, but this means that people are less active in the game.
“All these promises to open the roads have failed again, like they did at the Knicks game,” Woods said.
“It’s not just the restaurant, it’s all the workers who come in looking forward to a busy night and making money. It affects everyone,” Woods added.
“It’s ironic that the rent on the street is so high because of the proximity to Madison Square Garden, so we’re paying exorbitant rent, and there’s an event at Madison Square Garden, but people won’t come to us. It’s not fair.”
