What we know about Taylor Swift’s rumoured NYC wedding celebrations

When pop star Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce got engaged last summer in the backyard of his Kansas City home, there was an immediate, pressing and singular question on fans’ minds: when and where will the wedding be?

This weekend, fans may finally get their answer.

Swift, known for dropping hints to bigger plans in everything from her wardrobe, music and tours, has kept mum about her upcoming nuptials, but that has not stopped the world from speculating.

Building on tabloid fodder, the New York Times last week reported that permits had been requested for a large event at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in early July that will shut down the busy Manhattan area for blocks.

Prediction markets have further fanned the flames, with more than $2m (£1.5m) being bet on where the two will tie the knot.

Here is everything we do – and don’t – know about the possible celebrations.

The short answer: maybe.

City officials confirmed to the BBC that someone applied for a street closure permit near the arena over the 4 July Independence Day weekend.

Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the New York City mayor’s office, told the BBC a permit was filed in early June to close roads around arena from 2 to 4 July.

The New York Times (NYT) first reported the news and that several players on Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs American football team had booked hotel rooms nearby.

Before the NYT reported confirmation of a permit at the arena, TMZ and other tabloids had been speculating that Madison Square Garden, a 22,000-seat arena that is typically used for large concerts and home to the New York Knicks basketball team, would host wedding celebrations.

The NYT has not explicitly said the arena event is a wedding, but that it is a celebration that could be related to the couple’s nuptials.

The BBC’s US media partner, CBS News, reported on Tuesday that the couple are planning a rehearsal dinner for about 100 people at the arena’s Infosys Theater.

A second, larger celebration has reportedly been set for Friday night into Saturday morning that could accommodate about 1,000 people.

As media reports continue to mount on the celebrations being Swift and Kelce’s wedding, more and more clues have emerged.

Large trucks were seen at the venue on Monday, with loading signs that read “Garden Party” and “GP”. Crews have been seen in recent days unloading stage equipment, lights and other gear.

Crews were spotted unloading one large black box labeled “40-inch mirror ball” and a large white staircase railing. Many of the items, though, were indistinguishable, draped in black wrappings or in wooden boxes.

Tabloids also spotted workers unrolling a large red carpet on the steps of the arena on Tuesday but it was removed quickly.

The vast amount of deliveries to the arena might help answer how the couple would transform the sports arena into the wedding venue of their dreams.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also been behind some of the clues, offering cheeky hints over the weeks. He previously noted the city was hosting a World Cup match on the same weekend as “Taylor Swift’s wedding” and said “we are used to big events” in New York.

He mentioned it again on Tuesday during a news conference about the heat wave expected to hit the city this weekend.

“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 said.

US media and devoted fans have acknowledged that the permit, hotels and apparent preparation could still be part of an elaborate ruse, a decoy event so Swift and Kelce have privacy during their actual wedding.

Speculation has been ramping up to incessant levels and media coverage of the high-anticipated event has equated their nuptials to America’s version of a royal wedding. Online prediction market Kalshi has said the nuptials have generated more than $4.5m (£3.4m) in wagers.

No-one has confirmed to the BBC that the wedding is happening over Independence Day weekend, or that the wedding is happening at the arena.

The alleged event is one of several that some suspect could happen that weekend, celebrating the couple’s possible wedding. Multiple US media have reported the couple will marry in a small ceremony before the large celebrations at the arena.

The arena is a rather atypical location for a wedding.

It has a capacity of up to 22,000 and frequently sees some of the biggest musical talents in the world for massive concerts. Swift herself has performed there eight times during her two-decade career, at awards shows and during her Fearless and Speak Now tours.

When high-calibre performers are not on stage, it serves as a basketball arena for NBA and WNBA games, an ice hockey rink for NHL and PWHL games, and a space for professional boxing matches.

It is filled with stadium seating, built-in food vendors and it sits in the heart of the biggest US city – all points that have left fans wondering if the rumoured use of it for a wedding is truly accurate.

But MSG does boast some features that are helpful for a celebrity wedding: private, underground VIP entrances to the arena and full control over who is able to see and photograph the event – a level of privacy that might not be easy at any outdoor venue.

If the wedding is in fact at the arena, the couple would not be the first to wed there.

Kathy Silva and singer Sly Stone married at the Garden, as it is often dubbed, in 1974.

Eight years later, in 1982, 2,075 couples simultaneously got married in a mass wedding sponsored by The Unification Church. This was not the first time the church hosted an event like this, but it was the first time at MSG.

Just like when Swift releases new music and her lyrics are dissected for any hints about her personal life, her legion of fans around the world have been scavenging for clues to her nuptials.

When it comes to New York, Swift’s love of the Big Apple can be found in her music and some have even pointed to her recent appearance at Madison Square Garden during the Knicks playoff series in early June as a possible clue. The star also owns a home in the city.

There have been some other geographic theories about where the couple’s wedding could be.

Swift owns a home in the US state of Rhode Island, a picturesque coastal location for a summer wedding.

She was at that estate just before she met Kelce.

In a now-famous Instagram post shared just after Independence Day weekend of 2023, Swift posted: “See you tonight Kansas Cityyy.”

Many fans have latched on to the idea that Swift would appreciate the symbolism of marrying Kelce nearly three years to the day since she met her future husband.

There was the debunked theory that Swift wanted to hold her wedding at a Rhode Island venue nearby her coastal estate, and offered another couple a significant amount of money to move their wedding date so Swift and Kelce could host theirs. The venue refuted that account.

Speculation of a possible Rhode Island wedding mounted in June, with paparazzi snapping photos of weddings in the area (that they later found weren’t celebrating the famous couple) and fans swarming the area. Swifties who turned up at the site last month were left disappointed.

Then there were other theories: Kansas City, where Kelce lives and works, Swift’s home state of Pennsylvania, and the NFL star’s home state of Ohio.

But on timing, the singer is a big fan of the 4 July holiday, giving further credence to the theory that she would choose the US holiday weekend as a possible date.

Like with much of the Swift-Kelce wedding, the details on who might attend are completely unclear, too. But it hasn’t stopped the internet from speculating.

Friends and family have largely evaded questions – among them Kelce’s sister-in-law.

NFL San Francisco 49ers player George Kittle, singer Benson Boone and English actress Suki Waterhouse have been some of the few so far to confirm they’ll be going, but haven’t provided any details.

BBC Radio 1 host Greg James, who Swift personally invited while promoting her latest album, could be there, though he has not offered any details.

Longtime friend Selena Gomez and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff are expected to be guests. As is childhood friend Abigail Anderson Berard, who has been in multiple Swift music videos.

Some fans are curious to see whether her one-time bestie actress Blake Lively, who drew Swift into a bitter legal battle with Lively’s It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, will be invited. And former pal, model Karlie Kloss, is among those who have reportedly received an invite.

Other speculation has revolved around potential performers, including Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw – music legends who have inspired the superstar throughout her career. The speculation could be connected to Swift wearing a T-shirt that read “Stevie Knicks” when she was at MSG earlier this month for a Knicks basketball game.

To many fans’ dismay, no, the couple have not said anything about their upcoming nuptials or if all the speculation about the weekend wedding festivities in New York is accurate.

The BBC has contacted representatives for the pair, but they have not commented.

But like the rest of the world, we’ll be waiting to see their happily-ever-after.