The trucks arrived on Monday, their loading signs reading “Garden Party” and “GP”. Crews unloaded stage equipment, lights, and a large black box labelled “40-inch mirror ball”. A white staircase railing followed. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding – if that is what the multi-day event at New York’s Madison Square Garden is – appears to be taking shape.
City officials have confirmed that a permit was filed in early June to close roads around the arena from 2 to 4 July. Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the New York City mayor’s office, told the BBC the street closure application covered the Independence Day weekend. The New York Times first reported the news, adding that several players from Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs had booked hotel rooms nearby.
“Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's speculated wedding at Madison Square Garden could cost up to $5m in security.”
CBS News reported that the couple are planning a rehearsal dinner for about 100 people at the arena’s Infosys Theater, followed by a larger celebration for 1,000 guests on Friday night into Saturday morning. Prediction markets have seen more than $2m (£1.5m) bet on where the couple will marry.
But securing such an event in the heart of Manhattan comes at a staggering cost. Former Secret Service agent Bill Gage told The Independent that Swift and Kelce could spend between $3m and $5m on security alone. The sum covers weeks of advance work, pairing Swift’s personal security team with every MSG staff member, and staffing a remote operations centre to monitor threats. “This is like the equivalent of a presidential visit,” said Gage, who led the Secret Service tactical advance team for two State of the Union addresses by Barack Obama.
Swift, who has been the target of several stalkers, already spends $8m annually on private security – up $2m since last year’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to The U.S. Sun, citing an unnamed source. The couple are also concerned about privacy, Star Magazine reported, with a source saying: “It’s a shame security has become such a big deal. But it is what it is, and Travis and Taylor are grateful they can cover the expense.” Swift’s personal fortune is estimated at $2bn, while Kelce is worth $47.3m, according to Forbes.
As many as 200 NYPD officers are likely to be deployed around MSG, Gage said. Former NYPD Capt. Mark Novak told The Independent that a typical Garden event requires 40 officers, but even a relatively small crowd on Friday would need two shifts of up to 70 officers each. “I would suspect that the NYPD might pull from one or two boroughs for something like this,” Novak said.
The couple got engaged last summer in the backyard of Kelce’s Kansas City home. This weekend, fans may finally get their answer.