Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding celebrations underway in New York

A large contingent of police officers was deployed to provide security in the area around the venue. Madison Square Garden itself was illuminated in pink for the occasion. According to the online portal "Page Six," a rehearsal dinner had already taken place at Madison Square Garden on Thursday evening.

Neither Swift nor Kelce have publicly commented on the reports. So far, there is no official confirmation from Swift or Kelce. Several US media outlets reported this, citing sources close to the couple and the organizational and security logistics surrounding the major event.

No confirmation from Swift or Kelce so far

The "New York Post" had previously reported, citing multiple unnamed sources, that the couple had already married in a small ceremony. According to a report by the "New York Post," the couple is said to have already married in a small circle, citing multiple unnamed sources. It would be the first marriage for both.

Speculation about the couple's wedding in New York has been ongoing for weeks. For weeks, there has been speculation about a wedding between pop superstar Taylor Swift and football professional Travis Kelce in New York. Whether wedding bells are actually ringing or whether it is another private celebration remains unclear at this time. Until Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce speak out themselves, the alleged dream wedding remains one of the most discussed topics in the US.

The numerous celebrity sightings in New York are further fueling the rumors. The most prominent guests observed on Thursday evening were actress Lena Dunham and musician Jack Antonoff. The creator of the series Girls also shares a long-standing friendship with Taylor Swift. Back in 2015, she was part of the prominent cast in the music video for "Bad Blood."

Prominent guests spotted in Manhattan

Lena Dunham was reportedly seen on her way to the festivities in a green look. Producer Jack Antonoff has worked on numerous Swift albums and has been part of her closest circle of friends for years. Also expected is Jack Antonoff, one of Taylor Swift's closest musical companions.

Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper were also photographed on their way to the alleged rehearsal dinner, according to Page Six. Cooper wore a classic dark suit with a vest and was spotted in good spirits in front of an SUV before both continued on together. Taylor Swift's long-time friend Selena Gomez posted an Instagram story on Thursday evening showing herself dressed up for the night. Sitting in a car, she presented an elegant, off-the-shoulder black dress with striking 3D flower appliqués on the décolletage – for many fans another indication that she could be among the guests.

Swift and Kelce announced their engagement via Instagram in August of the previous year. They have been together since 2023. Before her relationship with Kelce, Swift had publicly been linked to actor Joe Alwyn and DJ Calvin Harris, among others. As a singer-songwriter and chronicler of her own life, Swift has repeatedly drawn on her love life in her songs; her fans, the so-called Swifties, have long followed the singer's relationships closely.

Kelce plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and has won the Super Bowl with the team three times. Swift is one of the most successful stars in music history. The celebrations fall on a weekend when New York is already attracting numerous major events: around July 4, the city is marking the 250th birthday of the United States, and the metropolis is also in the middle of a heat wave.

$26 million in donations in the same week

Immediately before the celebrations, it became known that Swift and Kelce had jointly made donations totaling 26 million US dollars (around 23 million euros) for charitable purposes in the US during that week. The donations went to aid organizations for those in need, animal welfare organizations, and music and education programs.

Around the location, streets were closed off and numerous prominent guests were spotted. The main celebration was planned for the evening of the day of the report. The "New York Post" was the first to report on the possible small ceremony, citing unnamed sources; other US media outlets picked up the information, also relying on sources close to the couple as well as on the organization and security logistics of the major event.

In New York, this weekend apparently revolves entirely around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. For days, there has been speculation about a large wedding celebration for the couple. The exact schedule of the weekend – from a rehearsal dinner on Thursday evening to the planned main celebration – has not been publicly confirmed by those involved, but has been reported exclusively through media coverage citing sources close to the couple and the event logistics.

Wedding weekend in the spirit of July 4

Coverage has focused for days on observations in front of Madison Square Garden as well as on social media posts from possible guests. The combination of prominent sightings, closed-off streets, pink lighting of the arena, and the ongoing heat wave in Manhattan provided the photographers and journalists on site with an unusually large number of visual subjects.

According to APA information, police were deployed in large numbers to secure the grounds around the venue. The security precautions matched the picture of an event with high-profile celebrities, as is customary in comparable cases in New York.

The couple's donation activity just days before the celebrations was perceived in the coverage as a signal in its own right: 26 million US dollars flowed to aid organizations, animal welfare, and music and education programs. Observers interpreted the sum and the timing as an indication of the seriousness with which the couple uses its public profile beyond the music and sports stage.

For the Swifties and Kelce's fans, the weekend marked a provisional climax in speculation that has persisted since the summer of the previous year. The combination of the official engagement in August, ongoing media reports about a wedding in New York, and the celebrations now observed left many observers with only one conclusion – even though neither Swift nor Kelce themselves confirmed the marriage.