07/02/26 05:59:00
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07/02 17:57 CDT Permit obtained by AP shows schedule for Taylor Swift and
Travis Kelce's wedding
Permit obtained by AP shows schedule for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding
By JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding will begin at 5 p.m.
Friday and stretch until the early hours of Saturday morning, closing several
blocks in the heart of Manhattan during the busy holiday weekend, according to
a copy of a city permit obtained by The Associated Press and new details
provided by police.
The application --- for a "Special Event at MSG" --- was approved Wednesday
night by New York City's permitting office, according to a spokesperson for
Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The permit shows 100 guests will begin arriving at Madison Square Garden at
6:30 p.m. on Thursday for a "pre party celebration," which officials described
as an intimate rehearsal dinner. Thursday evening, black sport utility vehicles
were seen driving into a tented area, shielding views of who was going into MSG.
A full street closure will then go into effect overnight, allowing crews to
erect a "drive through tent" next to a separate "entrance tent," according to
the permit.
The "main event" will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, per the application, with the
option to continue until 4 a.m. the next morning. That party can host up to
1,000 people, records show.
Beginning on Friday afternoon, several blocks surrounding the arena will be
off-limits to vehicles and partially closed to pedestrians, according to
information shared by police on Thursday afternoon.
Access to Penn Station --- the busiest rail hub in the U.S., sitting directly
below the arena --- will be heavily restricted, with transit users urged to use
a separate entrance further from the venue.
The approval of the permit comes as city officials and Swift's representatives
have continued to stay silent about the festivities --- angering some business
owners and residents, who have called for more transparency around a private
event that will soak up public resources.
A spokesperson for the NYPD did not respond to a question Thursday about the
purpose of the street closures.
Behind the scenes, emails obtained by the AP show city officials have been
aware of the wedding --- and its impact on city streets --- for nearly a month.
On June 8, the director of the city's street permitting office, Dawn Tolson,
emailed several City Hall staffers to discuss a permit application "in
association with the T&T wedding," an apparent reference to Taylor and Travis.
The application included a request for "full street closures" on July 3 and 4,
under the subject line: "Wedding Bells Are Ringing."
Mamdani, who previously said the city would have to cut back on large scale
events this summer due to the demands posed by the World Cup and America250
festivities, has declined to discuss the city's role in the wedding event.
"The NYPD will of course have a detail in place, but I'm not going to go into
more specifics at this time," New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said
at a news conference on Wednesday.
Michael O'Brien, who co-owns O'Briens Bar and Grill across from the arena, said
the city should do more to publicize the impact on local businesses --- and
that the newlyweds-to-be should foot the bill for any lost revenue.
"This is, in my opinion, ridiculous," O'Brien said. "If they can afford to buy
the permits, they can afford this big lavish ceremony, why don't they just buy
out the local businesses instead of having us adversely affected?"
But others seemed unbothered by the secrecy and precautions around the
much-anticipated nuptials.
"She's just so important in everyone's life," said Alyssa Heinen, one of scores
of Swift fans who gathered outside the arena on Thursday afternoon. "We grew up
with Taylor Swift, and just seeing her now find love --- I feel like it's
inspiring to so many women. It's so nice to see her so happy."
_____
Associated Press video journalist Joseph B. Frederick in New York contributed
to this report.
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