• The first day of wedding celebrations for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce has wrapped at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, but there’s still more to come on Friday. The big day, according to people familiar with the planning, will feature a cocktail hour, wedding celebration and then a reception.
• An event believed to be the rehearsal dinner kicked off the couple’s multi-day nuptial festivities on Thursday. It’s unclear exactly what the expected celebrations could look like on the inside, but a parade of decor and supplies, including knobby tree branches and boxes of alcohol and lobster meat, were spotted being wheeled into the arena.
• Fans and reporters outside the storied venue waited to catch a glimpse of the wedding decor or famous guests at what some have called a “royal wedding.” But extensive security and privacy measures were put in place, making it nearly impossible.
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The public will likely not know the full details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding for some time, and Swift will only share photos of her big day “when she’s ready to,” USA Today Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West told CNN’s Laura Coates.
As Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s reported rehearsal dinner comes to an end, the couple’s much-anticipated wedding celebration remains shrouded in mystery.
Fans and reporters outside Madison Square Garden waited to catch a glimpse of the wedding decor or famous guests at what some have called a “royal wedding.” But extensive security and privacy measures were put in place that made getting any details nearly impossible.
Here’s a look at what those measures entailed:
SUVs with blacked out windows and a tent: Workers set up an entrance tent on the side of the arena, where SUVs with fully tinted windows arrived, obscuring guests from view.
Decor: Many of the items being delivered were packed away in crates or covered in massive sheets of plastic and packing blankets, leading the ultra-curious to look for clues in shapes or on handwritten box labels.
Check-in process: A photo from AP shows a check-in station inside Madison Square Garden today that read “HAVE IDENTIFICATION OUT” and “HAVE DEVICES READY.” A second photo from Reuters shows an informational sign at one of the venue’s entrances that appeared to provide a notice about photography.
Curtains: Workers also hung pink curtains in the windows of Madison Square Garden this afternoon, blocking onlookers from seeing inside.
Barricades: The NYPD was seen putting up barricades along 7th and 8th avenues between 31st and 33rd streets as part of security measures that are being put in place.
No phones: Both the rehearsal on Thursday and the larger event on Friday will have a no-phone policy for all guests, vendors and security, the New York Times reported.
Taylor Swift may have incorporated one of her signature colors as part of her wedding celebration aesthetic.
Surprisingly, it’s not red.
Madison Square Garden was enveloped in a lilac hue as it grew dark this evening; however, it’s unclear whether the colored lights were turned on specifically for Swift’s wedding festivities.
How exactly Madison Square Garden was transformed for the Swift-Kelce star-studded multi-day wedding events is a mystery, but purple has long been considered one of the singer’s favorite colors since her “Speak Now” era in 2010.
In an appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” around that time, Swift told DeGeneres her favorite color is purple.
The “Speak Now” album cover shows Swift wearing an iconic strapless purplish dress – the same color she is seen wearing in the re-released “Taylor’s Version” in 2023.
The color is often seen in Swift’s fashion choices and mentioned in song lyrics including the albums “Midnights” in 2022, “The Tortured Poets Department” in 2024 and most recently “The Life of a Showgirl” in 2025.
As wedding celebrations for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are expected to be underway, CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister reports on the latest from just outside Madison Square Garden.
CNN’s Brynn Gingras, reporting outside the fabled venue, isn’t on tonight’s guest list. She jokes it’s because she committed the “ultimate faux pas” – wearing white to someone else’s wedding.
As the beloved “Saturday Night Live” character Stefon might say, Madison Square Garden has everything right now: a Knicks championship, excited World Cup fans outside and Taylor Swift’s expected upcoming wedding bash.
Most people associate the Garden with big-name concerts and sports, and it doesn’t exactly feel like the fairy-tale spot to hold a much-anticipated wedding celebration for a pop princess.
As one of New York City’s major transit hubs, the surrounding area is chaotic, loud and crowded.
Madison Square Garden — neither square nor surrounded by a lush landscape in its current iteration — has actually been in a few locations around NYC since 1879. Both the first and second Madison Square Garden buildings were located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue, alongside leafy Madison Square Park. The third MSG moved up to 49th Street and 8th Avenue in 1925 and was torn down in 1969. The current complex opened in 1968.
Longtime New Yorkers will be quick to bring up the demolition of the grand Beaux-Arts Penn Station building in the 1960s to relocate Madison Square Garden there. However, it also spurred a 1965 law to preserve landmarks in the city.
There’s no doubt the decidedly dreary area of Midtown Manhattan is feeling re-energized lately — and Swift’s possible nuptials are just part of it. While she likely won’t draw crowds like the jubilant, rowdy fans celebrating the Knicks championship win last month — there is sure to be excitement among Swifties outside the arena.
New Yorkers in general have been feeling very sunny this summer. As one told CNN: “The streets of New York this summer is the closest to, like, world peace we’ll ever experience … That is the vibe.”
CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister describes a “crazy” scene outside Madison Square Garden as what is believed to be Taylor Swift’s rehearsal dinner gets underway.
The scene includes a large police presence, newly erected barricades and numerous SUVs arriving — including one believed to be carrying Swift herself.
All eyes are on New York City’s Madison Square Garden as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s expected rehearsal dinner is believed to be underway.
After months of speculation surrounding the couple’s nuptials, a multi-day wedding celebration began with a rehearsal dinner for approximately 100 guests at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden through 10:30 p.m. ET this evening, according to people familiar with the planning.
Arriving guests are expected to be driven into a tent (keep an eye out for Selena Gomez), where a curtain will be drawn after the vehicles enter. The guests will then head into a private entrance and be directed to the rehearsal dinner space, according to sources.
Here’s a recap on what we’ve seen today so far:
Amid reports that Swift arrived at the storied New York venue hours before the event, the surrounding area was buzzing as event crews unloaded trucks into the arena and New York Police Department officers set up barricades and enacted street closures.
The event’s security plan calls for heavy weapons teams that includes long guns, canine units, emergency services units and others to be deployed, along with additional officers for crowd control, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the plan said.
Swifties also lined the streets around the New York landmark as the much-anticipated wedding kicked off over the Fourth of July Weekend. Other fans told CNN they weren’t convinced the arena would host the ceremony.
Security personnel were discreetly posted around the lobby of a nearby hotel where wedding guests are reportedly staying, sources familiar with the arrangements said. SUVs reportedly carried passengers from the hotel to the Garden, according to the sources. Some impressive floral bouquets were also seen being delivered.
And here’s what’s expected for tomorrow:
Tomorrow, a cocktail hour will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by the wedding, expected to take place on the MSG arena floor at 5:30 p.m.
A reception, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to last until 2 a.m., will follow, sources said.
Approximately 1,000 guests are expected to attend, and about 500 vehicles are expected to drop them off.
Selena Gomez is on her way somewhere, and we have a pretty good guess as to where that somewhere may be.
Gomez posted a couple of videos on her Instagram story Thursday evening in what appears to be the backseat of a car, with the singer all glammed up. In the clips, Gomez is donning a strapless black outfit with floral appliques, a look completed with dangling diamond earrings.
Could she have been on her way to Madison Square Garden, where sources tell CNN a rehearsal is underway for what’s expected to be Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration?
It would make sense — Gomez and Swift are known to be close friends. Swift even recently attended Gomez’s nuptials to producer Benny Blanco, where the “Anti-Hero” singer reportedly gave a speech.
In the clip, Gomez is applying lipstick from her own cosmetic brand Rare Beauty while Ariana Grande’s song “7 Rings” plays.
A clue, or the ultimate troll? Only time will tell.
A steady stream of SUVs were seen entering the loading area of a hotel not far from Madison Square Garden, where sources familiar with the arrangements of what’s expected to be Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration say that family members, friends and teammates of the groom are apparently staying.
The SUVs later emerged, reportedly carrying passengers to the Garden, according to the sources.
Like every other aspect of the closely guarded arrangements, most at the hotel stayed mum on anything about what sources had previously described as a rehearsal taking place tonight at the Garden.
A photo from AP shows a check-in station inside Madison Square Garden today that reads “HAVE IDENTIFICATION OUT” and “HAVE DEVICES READY.”
A second photo from Reuters shows an informational sign at one of the venue’s entrances that appears to provide a notice about photography.
The area around Madison Square Garden is bustling ahead of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s expected wedding celebrations, as event crews unload trucks into the arena and New York Police Department officers set up barricades around the venue.
Here’s what we’ve seen of the preparations so far:
The New York Police Department announced more Friday street closures around Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebrations.
Here’s where they are:
At 1 p.m. ET tomorrow, cars won’t be able to drive on the following streets, according to the NYPD:
7th Avenue between 30th and 34th Streets
West 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
And starting at 1 p.m. ET tomorrow, too, the following streets will be closed to pedestrians:
West side of 7th Avenue between 31st and 34th Streets
West 33rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
The NYPD says there will be “managed access” to these streets starting tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET:
East side of 8th Avenue between 30th and 34th Streets
West 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Beginning tonight at 11:15 p.m. ET, cars will not be able to park on West 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, police said.
Extra New York Police Department officers will be deployed to the area around Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the plans.
Organizers are planning to build a tent to obstruct the view of a portion of West 31st Street near Seventh Avenue, the official said, so guests can exit vehicles without being seen.
About 500 vehicles are expected to drop off wedding guests, according to people briefed on the plans.
The intent is for police to keep 7th and 8th Avenues on each side of MSG open to traffic, which means if fans show up in large numbers, they may be confined to sidewalks with little view of anything happening outside the Garden, the sources added.
The security plan calls for heavy weapons teams that include long guns, canine units, the emergency services units and others, along with additional officers for crowd control, the official said. Despite the extra security, the area won’t be considered a frozen zone like during the NBA Finals, the official said.
Swift, one of the most famous women in the world, has faced past security threats, including numerous stalking incidents and an alleged terror plot to attack her concerts in Vienna in 2024.
At a news conference Wednesday, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned “an event that we are tracking at Madison Square Garden on Friday night” and said the NYPD will have “a detail in place” but declined to provide details.
New York resident Smitty Kovach told CNN “it’s an honor and very exciting” that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are hosting wedding celebrations in the Big Apple.
Kovach said he initially wasn’t planning on stopping by to see the setup at Madison Square Garden, but when he realized he was going to be in the area for an appointment, he put on a Taylor Swift T-shirt and decided to “check it out.”
Reflecting on Swift’s past relationships, he said: “We’ve all seen her love stories over the years and really rooted for some over others, and we’re really happy that she found her forever.”
Asked about the possible chaos the celebrations might cause in the city and heightened security, Kovach said he’s not concerned.
“I mean it was way crazier for the Knicks finals. Are we going to get mad at them for playing a basketball game? No. She’s having a beautiful wedding, she’s probably paying an arm and leg for it, so it’s not like we gave it to her for free. So, no I don’t think it’s a problem at all,” he said.
While she’s been keeping her actual wedding and reception details close to her chest (that’s where her heart is after all), Taylor Swift has let some things slip early on.
During an appearance in October 2025 on “The Graham Norton Show” the host asked if 2026 would be her wedding year to which Swift quipped “Oh, you’ll know” — meaning he’d get an invite.
Swift said she definitely planned on avoiding something she viewed as one of the hardest parts.
Seems like she stuck to that given that sources told CNN about 1,000 guests are expected to attend a planned wedding celebration Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
That same month, while promoting her then-new album “The Life of a Showgirl” on BBC 1 Radio with her longtime friend and host Greg James, she casually dropped how Travis Kelce was going to treat James when he saw him at their wedding, clueing him in to the fact that he was invited.
And while no performers have been officially confirmed, Kelce did say on his “New Heights” podcast episode in September 2025 that he and Swift are “live music kind of people” rather than going for a DJ at the reception, and Swift hinted a few weeks later that one of her famous musical friends might take to the stage.
“It’s like, ‘Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it,’” Swift said about her buddy Ed Sheeran while on Hits Radio.
The mother of the groom has arrived.
Travis Kelce’s mom Donna Kelce landed in New York City on Thursday afternoon, according to video captured by TMZ.
Donna Kelce appeared to be in good spirits as she traversed the airport, the clip showed, but she stayed mum when pressed for details on what’s expected to be her son and Taylor Swift’s wedding celebration.
Sources confirm the highly-anticipated nuptials are set to kick off tonight at Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater with an event described as a rehearsal for 100 guests. A larger wedding celebration is expected to take place tomorrow, where 1,000 people are said to attend.
Madison Square Garden can hold thousands of people — which it regularly does for massive concerts and sporting events.
That’s why it’s maybe fitting that the last wedding reported at the venue involved thousands of couples.
In 1982, 4,000 members of the Korean Unification Church — sometimes called the “Moonies” — wed in a mass ceremony at the Garden.
Eight years before that, funk icon Sly Stone wed actress Kathy Silva. The wedding ceremony served as the intro for a massive concert, with thousands of fans filling the arena.
Even outside the US, Swifties from Europe to Southeast Asia — who forged friendships through their shared love of Taylor Swift’s music — have staged bachelorette parties and dance gigs to celebrate the star’s upcoming nuptials.
In the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur, around 150 fans attended a bachelorette party on June 27 held in honor of Swift herself. One of the co-organizers, Hafizi Fahmi Bin Mokhtar, said the atmosphere “was amazing.”
“Everyone danced and knew every lyric,” added Mokhtar, who organized similar festivities in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Elsewhere, 28-year-old Lex Dimitrijevic told CNN the coming days feel “especially meaningful.” The Vienna-based teacher is also getting married this summer and will host her own Swiftie-themed bachelorette party on July 4 — a significant date in the singer-songwriter’s compendium that is alluded to in numerous tracks and on which Swift has hosted famed bashes over the years.
“So many of us have grown up alongside Taylor. We discovered her music as teenagers, and now we’re navigating careers, long-term relationships, and adulthood at the same time she is,” Dimitrijevic said.
“Our lives are completely different, but reaching a similar milestone makes it feel wonderfully full circle,” added Dimitrijevic, who has listened to Swift’s records for 17 years. “Whether it was the Eras Tour, her reclaiming her music, or now this new chapter, fans genuinely want to see someone who has brought so much happiness to others find happiness herself.”
For those livin’ on a prayer that Jon Bon Jovi may be on the ever-growing list of rumored performers at what’s expected to be Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration this week, you may just have to keep on praying.
Amid a plethora of photos that continue to surface as movement picks up outside of Madison Square Garden, where multiple sources say Swift and Kelce’s wedding celebration is expected to take place, a picture of boxes that appear to be labeled as holding merch for Bon Jovi emerged.
It makes more sense than it seems: Bon Jovi is set to kick off his Forever Tour at the Garden on Tuesday and, well, it doesn’t seem likely that he’d be handing out merch at Swift and Kelce’s wedding.
It also wouldn’t be a total surprise if he was invited — Swift and Bon Jovi have history. The singers unforgettably paired up to sing “Livin’ on a Prayer” with Prince William in 2013 at the Winter Whites Gala charity ball at Kensington Palace.
• The first day of wedding celebrations for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce has wrapped at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, but there’s still more to come on Friday. The big day, according to people familiar with the planning, will feature a cocktail hour, wedding celebration and then a reception.
• An event believed to be the rehearsal dinner kicked off the couple’s multi-day nuptial festivities on Thursday. It’s unclear exactly what the expected celebrations could look like on the inside, but a parade of decor and supplies, including knobby tree branches and boxes of alcohol and lobster meat, were spotted being wheeled into the arena.
• Fans and reporters outside the storied venue waited to catch a glimpse of the wedding decor or famous guests at what some have called a “royal wedding.” But extensive security and privacy measures were put in place, making it nearly impossible.
The public will likely not know the full details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding for some time, and Swift will only share photos of her big day “when she’s ready to,” USA Today Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West told CNN’s Laura Coates.
As Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s reported rehearsal dinner comes to an end, the couple’s much-anticipated wedding celebration remains shrouded in mystery.
Fans and reporters outside Madison Square Garden waited to catch a glimpse of the wedding decor or famous guests at what some have called a “royal wedding.” But extensive security and privacy measures were put in place that made getting any details nearly impossible.
Here’s a look at what those measures entailed:
SUVs with blacked out windows and a tent: Workers set up an entrance tent on the side of the arena, where SUVs with fully tinted windows arrived, obscuring guests from view.
Decor: Many of the items being delivered were packed away in crates or covered in massive sheets of plastic and packing blankets, leading the ultra-curious to look for clues in shapes or on handwritten box labels.
Check-in process: A photo from AP shows a check-in station inside Madison Square Garden today that read “HAVE IDENTIFICATION OUT” and “HAVE DEVICES READY.” A second photo from Reuters shows an informational sign at one of the venue’s entrances that appeared to provide a notice about photography.
Curtains: Workers also hung pink curtains in the windows of Madison Square Garden this afternoon, blocking onlookers from seeing inside.
Barricades: The NYPD was seen putting up barricades along 7th and 8th avenues between 31st and 33rd streets as part of security measures that are being put in place.
No phones: Both the rehearsal on Thursday and the larger event on Friday will have a no-phone policy for all guests, vendors and security, the New York Times reported.
Taylor Swift may have incorporated one of her signature colors as part of her wedding celebration aesthetic.
Surprisingly, it’s not red.
Madison Square Garden was enveloped in a lilac hue as it grew dark this evening; however, it’s unclear whether the colored lights were turned on specifically for Swift’s wedding festivities.
How exactly Madison Square Garden was transformed for the Swift-Kelce star-studded multi-day wedding events is a mystery, but purple has long been considered one of the singer’s favorite colors since her “Speak Now” era in 2010.
In an appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” around that time, Swift told DeGeneres her favorite color is purple.
The “Speak Now” album cover shows Swift wearing an iconic strapless purplish dress – the same color she is seen wearing in the re-released “Taylor’s Version” in 2023.
The color is often seen in Swift’s fashion choices and mentioned in song lyrics including the albums “Midnights” in 2022, “The Tortured Poets Department” in 2024 and most recently “The Life of a Showgirl” in 2025.
As wedding celebrations for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are expected to be underway, CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister reports on the latest from just outside Madison Square Garden.
CNN’s Brynn Gingras, reporting outside the fabled venue, isn’t on tonight’s guest list. She jokes it’s because she committed the “ultimate faux pas” – wearing white to someone else’s wedding.
As the beloved “Saturday Night Live” character Stefon might say, Madison Square Garden has everything right now: a Knicks championship, excited World Cup fans outside and Taylor Swift’s expected upcoming wedding bash.
Most people associate the Garden with big-name concerts and sports, and it doesn’t exactly feel like the fairy-tale spot to hold a much-anticipated wedding celebration for a pop princess.
As one of New York City’s major transit hubs, the surrounding area is chaotic, loud and crowded.
Madison Square Garden — neither square nor surrounded by a lush landscape in its current iteration — has actually been in a few locations around NYC since 1879. Both the first and second Madison Square Garden buildings were located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue, alongside leafy Madison Square Park. The third MSG moved up to 49th Street and 8th Avenue in 1925 and was torn down in 1969. The current complex opened in 1968.
Longtime New Yorkers will be quick to bring up the demolition of the grand Beaux-Arts Penn Station building in the 1960s to relocate Madison Square Garden there. However, it also spurred a 1965 law to preserve landmarks in the city.
There’s no doubt the decidedly dreary area of Midtown Manhattan is feeling re-energized lately — and Swift’s possible nuptials are just part of it. While she likely won’t draw crowds like the jubilant, rowdy fans celebrating the Knicks championship win last month — there is sure to be excitement among Swifties outside the arena.
New Yorkers in general have been feeling very sunny this summer. As one told CNN: “The streets of New York this summer is the closest to, like, world peace we’ll ever experience … That is the vibe.”
CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister describes a “crazy” scene outside Madison Square Garden as what is believed to be Taylor Swift’s rehearsal dinner gets underway.
The scene includes a large police presence, newly erected barricades and numerous SUVs arriving — including one believed to be carrying Swift herself.
All eyes are on New York City’s Madison Square Garden as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s expected rehearsal dinner is believed to be underway.
After months of speculation surrounding the couple’s nuptials, a multi-day wedding celebration began with a rehearsal dinner for approximately 100 guests at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden through 10:30 p.m. ET this evening, according to people familiar with the planning.
Arriving guests are expected to be driven into a tent (keep an eye out for Selena Gomez), where a curtain will be drawn after the vehicles enter. The guests will then head into a private entrance and be directed to the rehearsal dinner space, according to sources.
Here’s a recap on what we’ve seen today so far:
Amid reports that Swift arrived at the storied New York venue hours before the event, the surrounding area was buzzing as event crews unloaded trucks into the arena and New York Police Department officers set up barricades and enacted street closures.
The event’s security plan calls for heavy weapons teams that includes long guns, canine units, emergency services units and others to be deployed, along with additional officers for crowd control, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the plan said.
Swifties also lined the streets around the New York landmark as the much-anticipated wedding kicked off over the Fourth of July Weekend. Other fans told CNN they weren’t convinced the arena would host the ceremony.
Security personnel were discreetly posted around the lobby of a nearby hotel where wedding guests are reportedly staying, sources familiar with the arrangements said. SUVs reportedly carried passengers from the hotel to the Garden, according to the sources. Some impressive floral bouquets were also seen being delivered.
And here’s what’s expected for tomorrow:
Tomorrow, a cocktail hour will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by the wedding, expected to take place on the MSG arena floor at 5:30 p.m.
A reception, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to last until 2 a.m., will follow, sources said.
Approximately 1,000 guests are expected to attend, and about 500 vehicles are expected to drop them off.
Selena Gomez is on her way somewhere, and we have a pretty good guess as to where that somewhere may be.
Gomez posted a couple of videos on her Instagram story Thursday evening in what appears to be the backseat of a car, with the singer all glammed up. In the clips, Gomez is donning a strapless black outfit with floral appliques, a look completed with dangling diamond earrings.
Could she have been on her way to Madison Square Garden, where sources tell CNN a rehearsal is underway for what’s expected to be Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration?
It would make sense — Gomez and Swift are known to be close friends. Swift even recently attended Gomez’s nuptials to producer Benny Blanco, where the “Anti-Hero” singer reportedly gave a speech.
In the clip, Gomez is applying lipstick from her own cosmetic brand Rare Beauty while Ariana Grande’s song “7 Rings” plays.
A clue, or the ultimate troll? Only time will tell.
A steady stream of SUVs were seen entering the loading area of a hotel not far from Madison Square Garden, where sources familiar with the arrangements of what’s expected to be Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration say that family members, friends and teammates of the groom are apparently staying.
The SUVs later emerged, reportedly carrying passengers to the Garden, according to the sources.
Like every other aspect of the closely guarded arrangements, most at the hotel stayed mum on anything about what sources had previously described as a rehearsal taking place tonight at the Garden.
A photo from AP shows a check-in station inside Madison Square Garden today that reads “HAVE IDENTIFICATION OUT” and “HAVE DEVICES READY.”
A second photo from Reuters shows an informational sign at one of the venue’s entrances that appears to provide a notice about photography.
The area around Madison Square Garden is bustling ahead of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s expected wedding celebrations, as event crews unload trucks into the arena and New York Police Department officers set up barricades around the venue.
Here’s what we’ve seen of the preparations so far:
The New York Police Department announced more Friday street closures around Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebrations.
Here’s where they are:
At 1 p.m. ET tomorrow, cars won’t be able to drive on the following streets, according to the NYPD:
7th Avenue between 30th and 34th Streets
West 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
And starting at 1 p.m. ET tomorrow, too, the following streets will be closed to pedestrians:
West side of 7th Avenue between 31st and 34th Streets
West 33rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
The NYPD says there will be “managed access” to these streets starting tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET:
East side of 8th Avenue between 30th and 34th Streets
West 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
West 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Beginning tonight at 11:15 p.m. ET, cars will not be able to park on West 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, police said.
Extra New York Police Department officers will be deployed to the area around Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the plans.
Organizers are planning to build a tent to obstruct the view of a portion of West 31st Street near Seventh Avenue, the official said, so guests can exit vehicles without being seen.
About 500 vehicles are expected to drop off wedding guests, according to people briefed on the plans.
The intent is for police to keep 7th and 8th Avenues on each side of MSG open to traffic, which means if fans show up in large numbers, they may be confined to sidewalks with little view of anything happening outside the Garden, the sources added.
The security plan calls for heavy weapons teams that include long guns, canine units, the emergency services units and others, along with additional officers for crowd control, the official said. Despite the extra security, the area won’t be considered a frozen zone like during the NBA Finals, the official said.
Swift, one of the most famous women in the world, has faced past security threats, including numerous stalking incidents and an alleged terror plot to attack her concerts in Vienna in 2024.
At a news conference Wednesday, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned “an event that we are tracking at Madison Square Garden on Friday night” and said the NYPD will have “a detail in place” but declined to provide details.
New York resident Smitty Kovach told CNN “it’s an honor and very exciting” that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are hosting wedding celebrations in the Big Apple.
Kovach said he initially wasn’t planning on stopping by to see the setup at Madison Square Garden, but when he realized he was going to be in the area for an appointment, he put on a Taylor Swift T-shirt and decided to “check it out.”
Reflecting on Swift’s past relationships, he said: “We’ve all seen her love stories over the years and really rooted for some over others, and we’re really happy that she found her forever.”
Asked about the possible chaos the celebrations might cause in the city and heightened security, Kovach said he’s not concerned.
“I mean it was way crazier for the Knicks finals. Are we going to get mad at them for playing a basketball game? No. She’s having a beautiful wedding, she’s probably paying an arm and leg for it, so it’s not like we gave it to her for free. So, no I don’t think it’s a problem at all,” he said.
While she’s been keeping her actual wedding and reception details close to her chest (that’s where her heart is after all), Taylor Swift has let some things slip early on.
During an appearance in October 2025 on “The Graham Norton Show” the host asked if 2026 would be her wedding year to which Swift quipped “Oh, you’ll know” — meaning he’d get an invite.
Swift said she definitely planned on avoiding something she viewed as one of the hardest parts.
Seems like she stuck to that given that sources told CNN about 1,000 guests are expected to attend a planned wedding celebration Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
That same month, while promoting her then-new album “The Life of a Showgirl” on BBC 1 Radio with her longtime friend and host Greg James, she casually dropped how Travis Kelce was going to treat James when he saw him at their wedding, clueing him in to the fact that he was invited.
And while no performers have been officially confirmed, Kelce did say on his “New Heights” podcast episode in September 2025 that he and Swift are “live music kind of people” rather than going for a DJ at the reception, and Swift hinted a few weeks later that one of her famous musical friends might take to the stage.
“It’s like, ‘Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it,’” Swift said about her buddy Ed Sheeran while on Hits Radio.
The mother of the groom has arrived.
Travis Kelce’s mom Donna Kelce landed in New York City on Thursday afternoon, according to video captured by TMZ.
Donna Kelce appeared to be in good spirits as she traversed the airport, the clip showed, but she stayed mum when pressed for details on what’s expected to be her son and Taylor Swift’s wedding celebration.
Sources confirm the highly-anticipated nuptials are set to kick off tonight at Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater with an event described as a rehearsal for 100 guests. A larger wedding celebration is expected to take place tomorrow, where 1,000 people are said to attend.
Madison Square Garden can hold thousands of people — which it regularly does for massive concerts and sporting events.
That’s why it’s maybe fitting that the last wedding reported at the venue involved thousands of couples.
In 1982, 4,000 members of the Korean Unification Church — sometimes called the “Moonies” — wed in a mass ceremony at the Garden.
Eight years before that, funk icon Sly Stone wed actress Kathy Silva. The wedding ceremony served as the intro for a massive concert, with thousands of fans filling the arena.
Even outside the US, Swifties from Europe to Southeast Asia — who forged friendships through their shared love of Taylor Swift’s music — have staged bachelorette parties and dance gigs to celebrate the star’s upcoming nuptials.
In the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur, around 150 fans attended a bachelorette party on June 27 held in honor of Swift herself. One of the co-organizers, Hafizi Fahmi Bin Mokhtar, said the atmosphere “was amazing.”
“Everyone danced and knew every lyric,” added Mokhtar, who organized similar festivities in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Elsewhere, 28-year-old Lex Dimitrijevic told CNN the coming days feel “especially meaningful.” The Vienna-based teacher is also getting married this summer and will host her own Swiftie-themed bachelorette party on July 4 — a significant date in the singer-songwriter’s compendium that is alluded to in numerous tracks and on which Swift has hosted famed bashes over the years.
“So many of us have grown up alongside Taylor. We discovered her music as teenagers, and now we’re navigating careers, long-term relationships, and adulthood at the same time she is,” Dimitrijevic said.
“Our lives are completely different, but reaching a similar milestone makes it feel wonderfully full circle,” added Dimitrijevic, who has listened to Swift’s records for 17 years. “Whether it was the Eras Tour, her reclaiming her music, or now this new chapter, fans genuinely want to see someone who has brought so much happiness to others find happiness herself.”
For those livin’ on a prayer that Jon Bon Jovi may be on the ever-growing list of rumored performers at what’s expected to be Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebration this week, you may just have to keep on praying.
Amid a plethora of photos that continue to surface as movement picks up outside of Madison Square Garden, where multiple sources say Swift and Kelce’s wedding celebration is expected to take place, a picture of boxes that appear to be labeled as holding merch for Bon Jovi emerged.
It makes more sense than it seems: Bon Jovi is set to kick off his Forever Tour at the Garden on Tuesday and, well, it doesn’t seem likely that he’d be handing out merch at Swift and Kelce’s wedding.
It also wouldn’t be a total surprise if he was invited — Swift and Bon Jovi have history. The singers unforgettably paired up to sing “Livin’ on a Prayer” with Prince William in 2013 at the Winter Whites Gala charity ball at Kensington Palace.
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