'Royal wedding': Swift and Kelce kick off star-studded celebrations

The main act of pop sensation Taylor Swift's wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce was due to get underway on Friday, as celebrities flooded New York for the A-lister extravaganza at the storied Madison Square Garden.

The billionaire singer and three-time Super Bowl champion, both 36, opened the festivities Thursday with an exclusive rehearsal dinner, with only around 100 guests invited, according to US media.

Swift, who announced her engagement to Kelce last August, has been tight-lipped about what will surely be the wedding of the year, and guests have reportedly signed non-disclosure agreements.

But all signs point to the celebrations, which fall as Americans mark the 250th US anniversary, being a glitzy affair befitting one of the world's most famous couples.

An AFP journalist saw a procession of black SUVs, believed to be carrying guests, pulling into a privacy tent outside the Garden late Thursday while fans buzzed nearby for a peek at the action.

"She is the biggest thing in America, like she is our royalty, she is our queen, she is everything," said Alyssa Heinen, 24, from Manhattan.
"We are just so happy that she found the love of her life, and he happens to also be such a big deal. It feels like a royal wedding to us".

Friday's proceedings are expected to involve up to 1,000 guests, according to US media, including models Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, singer Selena Gomez, and actress Zoe Kravitz, all known to be Swift's pals.

Kelce's teammates from the Kansas City Chiefs are also expected to be on hand.

Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, both close to Swift, will perform, and Ed Sheeran is rumored to be among those taking the stage, according to New York Post gossip column Page Six.

Guests will reportedly not be allowed to have their phones during the main ceremony, which is expected to begin with mid-afternoon cocktails before a reception going into the night.

Photo: New York police officers were stationed outside Madison Square Garden/AFP

So excited

Swifties, as the megastar's fans are known, have flocked to Big Apple locations mentioned in their idol's lyrics. Among the hotspots were the "Bus Stop Cafe" in the West Village, which Swift has visited, and nearby Cornelia Street, which lends its name to the hit song.

"We are so excited to see Taylor," Lindsey Bongiorno, 25, told AFP outside Madison Square Garden, hoping to experience the occasion from afar.
Rumors have been rampant for weeks over the couple's wedding, with no official confirmation, but the Garden has been buzzing over the past week.

Page Six reported that the couple had already wed in a small ceremony with "a tiny group of loved ones" ahead of their Madison Square Garden extravaganza, citing unidentified sources.

Journalists have sighted food delivery trucks carrying lobster meat and doughnuts, while police have announced road closures around the arena. The couple appears 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.
Ahead of the big day, Swift's spokesperson reportedly said the couple was donating $26 million to various US charities, including in New York and Kansas City.

Madison Square Garden, which includes both an arena and a smaller theater, 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.
Swift, a 14-time Grammy winner, is coming off a banner year with the success of her album "The Life of a Showgirl," her induction into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a new song on the "Toy Story 5" soundtrack.

Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has signed on to play for a 14th season in the National Football League. He starred on three Super Bowl-winning teams with the Chiefs and is also a co-host of the popular "New Heights" podcast alongside his brother Jason.

On Thursday, Kansas City's Union Station posted on X: "Tonight, we light up Union Station in orange and teal for Taylor Swift and red and gold for Travis Kelce."

Comedian Bert Kreischer shared on Instagram an AI-generated picture of him pretending to attend the couple's wedding. Kelce replied to the post with laughing-crying emojis.