A permit obtained by The Associated Press indicates that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding festivities are scheduled to commence Friday at 5 p.m. at New York's Madison Square Garden, with events potentially continuing until 4 a.m. Saturday. The permit, for a "Special Event at MSG," was approved Wednesday night by the New York City permitting office.
Multiple individuals with knowledge of the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the events publicly, confirmed the permit is linked to the couple's wedding. The schedule details that 100 guests will begin arriving at 6:30 p.m. Thursday for a "pre party celebration," described as an intimate rehearsal dinner. This will be followed by a full street closure near the arena overnight for the setup of entrance and drive-through tents.
The "main event" is slated to begin Friday at 5 p.m. and can run until 4 a.m. the following morning, with capacity for up to 1,000 people. Frenzied public speculation about the wedding has been building for weeks, with recent sightings of equipment being unloaded, including a large carpet.
Neither Swift nor Kelce has publicly confirmed any details of the festivities. A representative for Swift did not respond to multiple inquiries.
City officials have acknowledged preparations for a large-scale event at Madison Square Garden that will necessitate an increased police presence during a busy weekend. However, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his police commissioner have refrained from discussing the nature of the event. This has drawn criticism from some local business owners, who expressed concern about the potential impact of street closures and the use of public resources for private security.
"This is, in my opinion, ridiculous," said Michael O’Brien, co-owner of O’Briens Bar and Grill, located opposite Madison Square Garden. O'Brien voiced concerns about potential business disruption due to the unannounced street closures, adding, "If they can afford to buy the permits, they can afford this big lavish ceremony, why don’t they just buy out the local businesses instead of having us adversely affected?"
FILE - Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) and Taylor Swift kiss after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)