It seems Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are rolling out the red carpet. Literally.
As the nation waits to see the lights, see the party the ball gown, Madison Square Garden in New York City—believed to be venue for the couple’s July 3 wedding—is undergoing a makeover.
In order to make the whole place shimmer, among the features undergoing changes at the concert and sports arena is a carpet being laid over one of the external staircases leading into the building.
Originally, MSG staffers were laying out a red carpet (loving him was red, after all) however Page Six reported that the carpet was later removed. Hours later, TMZ reported a new carpet was being laid out—this time in a (possibly) lavender haze-inspired purple.
Whatever color the covering ends up being, a carpet is likely the, no pun intended, first step in creating what is sure to be an extravagantly decorated grand entrance for Kelce and Swift’s A-list guests to use. But, for those guests in the upper echelon of fame, MSG’s underground tunnels will also allow celebrities to come and go unseen.
Plus, the enclosed structure of the entire building allows Swift, Kelce and their expected 1,000 guests the ultimate privacy as they keep dancing like they’re 22.
The special events permit for the venue, obtained by The New York Times, indicates that several city blocks around MSG will be closed off to cars and pedestrians. The permit also allows for theater load in and outs for a “film event” in the area from the evening of June 28 through July 4.
While the Grammy winner and NFL star have kept the details of their nuptials under the tightest of wraps—and despite speculation Swift might marry at her oceanside Rhode Island mansion—it’s looking more and more likely that the cavernous, private MSG is the venue the couple have chosen in order to house their hundreds of guests and maintain their privacy.
Yet even their guests aren’t exactly sure where they’ll be watching Swift and Kelce say, “I do.”
As NFL’s George Kittle revealed during his and Kelce’s Tight End University earlier in June, he and his wife Claire Kittle were unsure of the wedding’s location mere weeks before Swift and Kelce are expected to tie the knot.
“I actually asked Travis last night and he laughed at me,” Kittle told Entertainment Tonight June 23 of the MSG rumors. “I’m half expecting there to be a jumbo jet on the runway and they put us on a plane somewhere.”
But despite the mystery behind the wedding, the tight end knew one thing to be true: the wedding is sure to be a blast.
“I don’t have expectations,” Kittle added. “It’s gonna be amazing.”
For more insight into why it’s looking like MSG is the chosen venue, read on.
Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting married at Madison Square Garden?
Reports that Swift and Kelce will wed at the historic New York City arena—home of the Knicks and Rangers, as well as countless major musical moments through the years—have only picked up steam since Page Six first put it out there June 5.
The bride and groom have not confirmed this, nor have they denied it.
Meanwhile, the rationales for getting married in such a venue have multiplied, from the relentlessly tight security infrastructure that's already in place to the fact that simply being indoors in a space with underground parking and no windows is a good way to avoid photographers peeping from above with helicopters and drones.
While the musical guest possibilities are endless, should Swift take the stage on her big day it will mark her first performance at MSG since the Z100 Jingle Ball on Dec. 13, 2019—a.k.a. her 30th birthday.
You'd think more rich and/or famous people would've said "I do" at MSG since 1964. But the most memorable vow swaps to date remain Sly Stone marrying Kathy Silva onstage in front of 20,000 Sly and the Family Stone fans in 1974, and when 2,075 couples wed in 1982 at a mass Unification Church ceremony presided over by Sun Myung Moon.
But people and companies do book events there, with rates starting in the thousands to rent a luxury suite and veering toward $1 million-plus to buy out the arena.
Knicks owner James Dolan told WFAN that reporters got "half of it wrong" in speculating that Swift and Kelce were given free NBA Finals tickets in exchange for paying top dollar to hold their wedding at MSG.
"Travis is in a mandatory training camp," Dolan added, possibly clarifying that he meant Swift alone got complimentary courtside seats and the rest is true. But possibly not.
What's the significance of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rumored wedding date July 3?
Aside from July 3 being a blank space on MSG's calendar, Swift loves to go all out for Fourth of July—which conveniently falls on a Saturday this year. You know, to make it a wedding weekend.
But don't discount the numbers game, Swift reminding during her August New Heights appearance, "I love numerology. I love math stuff, I love dates."
It's also a convenient time for the groom, whose 14th NFL season doesn't kick off until September. (And official training camp doesn't start until July 29.)
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said during a June 11 news conference that he'd witnessed "no distractions" for Kelce in the off-season, quipping, "If it's like when I got married, my wife did everything…Maybe he's doing more, but he looks like he's pretty focused in on this job, too."
Who is coming to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding?
Real ones like Reid are exercising their right to remain silent, the bemused 68-year-old telling reporters, "Can't talk about it."
Jason Kelce's wife Kylie Kelce advised on her podcast back in April, "To literally everybody, I know it usually comes from a good place, not always, but quit asking me and my mother-in-law about upcoming nuptials."
And at this point, it's tough to say who's being cheeky and who's being sincere about getting an invitation, with everyone from Niall Horan to Prince William down as a maybe.
“I’m gonna go to Taylor’s wedding, and maybe I’ll get some inspiration," Swift's friend Suki Waterhouse, who's engaged to Robert Pattinson, told Variety when asked about her own nuptial planning. "It will be amazing."
Swift was en route to Australia when Karlie Kloss got married in 2018, but the model reportedly is on the singer's guest list.
And the bride-to-be did indicate she'd be going with the adage of "the more, the merrier," if not an MSG-capacity crowd of 22,000.
"I know it’s going to be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are when you have a small amount and people are on the bubble," Swift told Graham Norton in October when she extended an invite to the talk show host on-air. "You have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them to see if they should be there—I’m not gonna do that.”
Several notable wedding planners have been linked to the Swift-Kelce nuptials.
Tara Guérard had to clarify in April that she was not the 1, presumably to protect her actual clients from a swarm of Swifties descending on their June 13 wedding at the Ocean House in Westerly, R.I.
Some fans made the trip anyway, but the nuptials were otherwise undisturbed.
Page Six has since identified Mark Seed—whose past clients include Jennifer Lawrence—as Swift's chosen wedding planner. Reportedly known for his discretion, Seed has not commented.
Did New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani really confirm Taylor Swift's wedding timeframe?
What does the mayor know and when did he know it? While discussing World Cup security at a June 15 news conference, Mamdani noted that his city is "used to big events" and they were "incredibly excited" for further soccer action at MetLife Stadium.
"We know it coincides with the Knicks’ Finals run," he continued. "We know it coincides with July 4, America 250, Taylor Swift’s wedding—all happening at the same time—and we are so excited to welcome the world here.”
Mamdani will only be playing a role in some of those events, however, the mayor noting, "I wish them a lovely wedding. I'll listen to 'Only the Young' at home on my own."