New York prepares for Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding

Pop singer Taylor Swift and pro-athlete Travis Kelce's official wedding plans are tightly under wraps, but New York is bracing to host the celebrity marriage of the year this week at Madison Square Garden.

The billionaire superstar and three-time NFL Super Bowl champion, both 36, have kept fans guessing, but details are beginning to emerge as the clock counts down to their big day.

US media report that the A-list festivities will kick off Thursday evening with an exclusive dinner -- only around 100 people are invited -- at the storied sports arena.  

The wedding itself will reportedly take place Friday with a star-studded guest list of around 1,000, including models Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, singer Selena Gomez, and actress Zoe Kravitz -- all known to be close Swift pals -- and Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs teammates.

Rumor has it that Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, both close to Swift, will perform. British artists Ed Sheeran -- another Swift pal -- and Paul McCartney may also go on stage.

Guests are said to have signed confidentiality agreements and will be without their phones for the ceremony, expected to begin in the mid-afternoon with cocktails before a reception going into the night. 

Celebrity outlet TMZ said that the lavish decor will include a replica castle built inside Madison Square Garden. 

Outside the arena Wednesday afternoon a clutch of reporters and onlookers watched as trucks and crews unloaded stuff for the big alleged wedding.

"This is fascinating!," said Alicia Griffith, 51, who was visiting from South Carolina with her two daughters, aged 10 and 12, both of them Swift fans.

Griffith said she told one of them to snap pictures. "She's like, 'But it may not be her wedding.' I'm like, but it may be. I think it is," she added.

Head of the Metropolitan Transport Authority Janno Lieber said he had no inside information about nuptials but recommended public transport as the best way to get to Madison Square Garden, no matter who you are.

"I hope and expect that some of the celebrities, if there are celebrities coming to this alleged event, will take full advantage of our service, rather than spending a lot of time stuck in traffic somewhere in Midtown," said Lieber.

- Rumor mill -

Rumors have run rampant for weeks over the couple's wedding, with no official confirmation, but clues have multiplied around Madison Square Garden. 

A procession of trucks and forklifts has been outside the arena for several days, while The New York Times has reported an increased police presence and street closures in the area from Thursday. 

The couple, who announced their engagement last August, appear to already be in New York. 

Swift's private jet landed nearby on Tuesday and her car was seen in the city. Meanwhile, Kelce was photographed jogging in Manhattan. 

Even Mayor Zohran Mamdani has added to the speculation with a video on social media warning New Yorkers -- and celebrity couples -- of a heat wave hitting the eastern United States this week. 

"We're ready but we want to make sure that you are, too. Especially if you're celebrating the World Cup, or the 4th of July, or renting out MSG to get married. Hypothetically," he says with a smirk. 

- Unconventional venue -

Madison Square Garden boasts both an arena space and a smaller theater traditionally used for concerts and meetings.

It is perhaps not a traditional wedding venue, but Swift would not be the first musician to marry there.

Sly Stone, who died last year, was married there in June 1974 to actress Kathy Silva during a concert by his band, Sly and the Family Stone. 

It is shaping up to be a huge weekend in New York, with July Fourth celebrations culminating in a massive fireworks show, and World Cup action scheduled for July 5.

Swift, a 14-time Grammy winner, is coming off a banner year with the success of her album "The Life of a Showgirl," induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a new song on the "Toy Story 5" soundtrack.

Kelce, a star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has signed to play for a 14th season in the National Football League. He was on three Super Bowl winning teams with the Chiefs.

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© Agence France-Presse