A rehearsal dinner was underway Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce prepared for what is expected to be one of the most closely watched celebrity weddings in recent memory.
The rehearsal dinner at MSG's Infosys Theater was for around 100 guests, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with security planning who spoke to CBS News. The event was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and run until 10:30 p.m.
The larger celebration on Friday will accommodate around 1,000 guests, with the venue booked until 4 a.m. Guests are set to arrive starting at 3:30 p.m., with cocktails on the 6th floor concourse at 4 p.m., a ceremony on the arena floor at 5:30 p.m., and a reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. running until 2 a.m. The sources noted that exact times are subject to change. The event will feature musical talent, and a massive set is being constructed inside the arena.
Guests will enter through a special VIP area covered by a tent. Security officials are expecting around 500 vehicles. About 135 NYPD officers are expected to be assigned to the events Thursday and Friday. Roughly 25 percent of officers' hours are expected to be billed as overtime at approximately $90 to $100 per hour per officer.
A parade of celebrities was spotted arriving in New York City ahead of the festivities. BBC News reported that TV presenter Graham Norton and his husband Jono McLeod were photographed at JFK Airport. Swift had previously invited Norton on his own show. When he asked her when the wedding would be, she told him: "Oh, you'll know. I was going to invite you to it."
Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, singer Sabrina Carpenter, and Selena Gomez were also spotted in the city. Gomez posted a video of herself in a black gown and diamond earrings in the back of a vehicle. Jack Antonoff, a frequent Swift collaborator, was seen Thursday evening wearing a suit. Singers Dua Lipa and Camila Cabello and actress Anya Taylor-Joy were also recently spotted in the area.
Longtime friend Ed Sheeran and Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner were seen together at a restaurant in upstate New York. NFL player George Kittle, singer Benson Boone, actress Suki Waterhouse, and Swift's childhood friend Abigail Anderson Berard are among others reportedly attending.
Travis Kelce's mother, Donna Kelce, was photographed disembarking a flight at JFK but did not answer questions from reporters about the wedding.
Props including a grand piano, carpets, and a box of mirror balls have been seen being moved into the arena. A forklift operator was spotted at the venue wearing a Swift t-shirt.
Swift's team applied for a street activity permit from July 2 to July 4. Neither Swift nor Kelce has publicly confirmed details of the wedding.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a passing reference to the event Thursday while addressing the city's extreme heat emergency, telling New Yorkers: "if you happen to be getting married at Madison Square Garden, you will be staying inside and you will be staying cool, and I think it's a good example to set for the city at large."
