NEW YORK: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are widely expected to cap their three-year love story with a wedding celebration in New York, where a frenzy of activity surrounded the arena expected to host the pop megastar and one of the greatest players in American football history.
While neither has confirmed plans publicly, the New York Post reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that the two had already wed.
A heavy media presence and barricades around New York’s Madison Square Garden fuelled expectations of a major event, as passersby stopped to snap photos and videos on their phones. Workers spent days this week unloading food and scenery into the iconic Manhattan arena.
Scaffolding with heavy black curtains was in place, preventing crowds from spotting people on arrival, and a sign posted by an entrance on Thursday warned anyone entering to maintain strict confidentiality.
People were spotted rolling a white gown in a large garment bag into the venue on Friday. Officials including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have dropped hints that something is coming, and media have reported the pair plan a cocktail hour for 1,000 people at the start of a long holiday weekend when the US celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from British rule.
The couple said through a publicist they had donated $26 million to several charities in the city and elsewhere this week. Country music star Dolly Parton thanked Swift and Kelce on social media for a $2m donation to her charity, which sends free books to children.
While she made no mention of a wedding, Parton’s post included a playful nod to any children the couple may have in the future.
“It’s evident that you two have made giving back a key part of your life. So, hey, when you have the firstborn, can I have it? Because that is going to be one special baby,” Parton said.
‘Royal wedding’
The buzzy event coincides with brutally hot weather. Temperatures were forecast to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) and will likely test the stamina of onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity couple or their famous guests.
Outside Swift’s Manhattan home, some of her fans, known as “Swifties,” used portable fans to try and stay cool.
Alison Walsh stopped with her 11-year-old daughter one of the Swifties on the West 31st Street side of the arena to peer through police-lined barricades at a large white tent.
Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2026