By Kurt Hall
NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Fencing is up, streets are closed and all signs point to a lavish wedding for megastars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in New York City this weekend.
At Madison Square Garden, workers have been hauling in food and decor to make the whole place shimmer. News cameras captured foliage, a box marked "garden party" and another labeled lobster meat. The venue's public calendar shows no events scheduled till Tuesday - a rare six-day stretch in a summer otherwise packed
with concerts, with just the occasional night unbooked.
Several media outlets reported that Swift and Kelce will hold a 100-person event at the sports arena on Thursday followed by a larger celebration in front of 1,000 people on Friday. The pop superstar and National Football League player have not confirmed when and where they will marry, and Swift's publicist has not responded to requests from Reuters for comment.
New York City already was abuzz with major happenings over the U.S. Independence Day weekend. Tall ships will sail into New York Harbor to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, and a World Cup soccer match is set for Sunday in nearby New Jersey. On Wednesday, onlookers stopped to watch a Russian couple of daredevils who climbed to the top of the Empire State building and unfurled a banner urging world peace.
MAMDANI DROPS A HINT
The big events coincide with high temperatures that prompted city officials to declare a heat emergency. When asked about a potential Swift wedding, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani used the moment to urge people to stay indoors to protect themselves from the extreme weather.
“If you happen to be getting married at MSG, you will be staying inside and staying cool, and I think it’s a good example to set for the city at large,” he told reporters earlier this week.
Reuters confirmed that an event planning company had applied for a permit to close the streets around the Garden from Thursday through mid-day Saturday. Fencing was being erected around the venue's entrances this week.
The venue sits above a major commuter hub, and passersby on Wednesday stopped to watch the preparations.
Hundreds of local law enforcement officers are expected to patrol the area, the New York Times reported, citing a memo titled “Taylor Swift wedding at Madison Square Garden.”
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that officers were "tracking" an event at the Garden on Friday night and "will, of course, have a detail in place." A department spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for additional information.
'AMERICA'S ROYAL WEDDING'
The union of the "Love Story" singer and Kansas City Chiefs tight end, dubbed "America's royal wedding," is one of the most anticipated celebrity weddings of the century. Speculation has intensified since the couple announced their engagement in August following a public courtship that enchanted fans. Cameras caught Swift cheering on Kelce at Chiefs games and followed him as he jetted around the world to her concerts.
A star-studded crowd is expected, given Swift's roster of celebrity friends, including Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Emma Stone and Gigi Hadid. In one TV interview, Swift joked that she would invite "anyone that I've ever talked to."
On the groom's side, Chiefs coach Andy Reid was photographed being fitted for a tuxedo.
(Reporting by Kurt Hall in New York and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; editing by Scott Malone and Stephen Coates)
