High-profile celebrities including television presenter Graham Norton and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge have arrived in New York ahead of the anticipated wedding of pop star Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce.
The upcoming nuptials and celebrations are expected to take place at Madison Square Garden, according to media reports and city officials who confirmed local street closures.
During an appearance on Norton's BBC chat show last year, Swift responded to a question about her wedding date.
"Oh, you'll know. I was going to invite you to it," she said.
Norton, who also starred in Swift's "Opalite" music video, was photographed with his husband Jono McLeod at JFK Airport, while Waller-Bridge was spotted separately in the city.
Waller-Bridge previously attended Swift's Eras Tour in London in 2024 and hosted Saturday Night Live in 2019 when Swift served as the musical guest.
Other reported attendees include NFL player George Kittle, singer Benson Boone, actress Suki Waterhouse, Selena Gomez, and childhood friend Abigail Anderson Berard.
It remains unconfirmed if actress Blake Lively will attend following a legal battle with co-star Justin Baldoni that was settled in May.
Preparations Underway at Madison Square Garden
Preparations are underway at the 22,000-seat arena, where staging props like a grand piano, carpets, and mirror balls were transported inside alongside the placement of local "no parking" signs.
A spokesperson for the New York City mayor's office, Dora Pekec, told the BBC that a permit was filed in early June to close roads surrounding the area from July 2 to July 4.
The New York Times first reported the permit and noted that several players from Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs team booked nearby hotel rooms, while an unnamed law enforcement official confirmed security plans to the Associated Press.
Celebrity photographer Mickey Blank told BBC Newsbeat that Madison Square Garden is surrounded by press, though high-profile guests are expected to arrive via an underground parking lot due to tight security.
"It's like Pentagon-level secrecy," Blank said. He noted that security measures would prevent any public visibility of the attendees.
"You cannot go in, you cannot see anything."
The photographer explained that high-profile guests would use the venue's private infrastructure. "They have an underground parking lot.
All the high-profile guests are expected to arrive underground."
Blank also indicated that the pop star would remain completely hidden from public view. "Your chances of seeing Taylor Swift are, like, lower than zero."
The venue recently hosted a darts championship filled with costume-wearing fans, presenting a cleanup challenge for the wedding organizers.
"The floor was so sticky, I could barely move," Blank said.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the event logistics during a press conference on Wednesday. "We are fully prepared, there isn't anything to share beyond that."
Mamdani later referenced the event on social media while giving heatwave advice to city residents, highlighting July 4 as a historically favored holiday for Swift.
