NEW YORK (AP) — Today is a fairytale.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding is fast approaching Friday at Madison Square Garden, where the couple's closest friends and family — and several hundred more — are attending the elaborate event inside the iconic New York venue.
Guest arrivals are well underway and Swifties were amassed outside, where the heat was harsh and the buzz was heavy. An Associated Press camera outside the arena showed a line of
black SUVs dropping off wedding-goers.
Heavy secrecy has left plenty of blank spaces that media outlets and fans are seeking to fill in. A city permit obtained by the AP shows that Friday's wedding event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and could last until 4 a.m.
Excited onlookers began gathering outside MSG on Friday. Some frazzled tourists joked that it was a bad weekend to visit as they navigated strict road and sidewalk closures, but others appeared happy to sneak a peak at the spectacle. Police cut off most access where guests were being dropped off, but a few patrons gathered in nearby businesses ahead of World Cup matches and peered out windows.
The wedding is the latest development in the superstar singer and football player's relationship, which has continued to thrill and fascinate millions around the world — particularly the Swifties, the pop star’s enormous and ardent fan base — for the past three years ever since the pair first started dating.
Key questions remain over how Swift and Kelce have transformed MSG into a wedding venue fit for a billionaire and the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as who may perform and who will officiate. Trucks and crews have been going in and out of the venue for days, setting up tents and whisking massive materials inside, setting off more speculation about MSG's makeover.
And while fans have seen Swift wear wedding dresses in plenty of music videos over the years, many also remain eager to see what looks she will unveil at the wedding.
Perhaps the biggest puzzle surrounds the selection of MSG. Swifties, commentators and the public have spent weeks debating the merits of the venue, some convincing themselves that it must be a smoke screen for the wedding to take place elsewhere. Others pointed to the arena's lack of windows and robust security, which would provide a rare opportunity for privacy for one of the most public couples in the world — and crucially, add another layer of protection.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch has repeatedly declined to confirm that Swift and Kelce’s wedding would take place Friday at MSG but has said the department will have appropriate resources at each major event over the weekend, including at the venue. Still, police tried to get in on the fun Friday morning, posting a social media video of one of its chiefs standing outside MSG with a bullhorn tossing out a handful of not-so-veiled references to Swift tracks, at one point saying “this weather feels like a cruel summer,” flicking at her song “Cruel Summer.”
The wedding is taking place during a jam-packed weekend even by New York's standards. It's the July Fourth weekend, where the city will be partake in celebrating the nation's 250th birthday. Separately, a parade of dozens of tall ships will take place on the Hudson River, and a World Cup game is scheduled in New Jersey.
Earlier this week, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to 20 local and national charities across the U.S. Many of the organizations were located in areas where the couple has deep ties, including Nashville, Tennessee; Los Angeles; Kansas City, Missouri; and New York.
