The New York Police Department (NYPD) has announced several road closures, pedestrian restrictions and parking changes around Madison Square Garden as the city prepares for the reported wedding celebrations of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
The private events are expected to take place on Thursday and Friday in Midtown Manhattan, just as the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend begins. Authorities say the area around the arena will have tight security, with roads closed and tents and canopies set up to help keep the celebrations private.
Swift and Kelce have not publicly commented on reports about the events.
Rehearsal dinner planned for Thursday
According to an internal police planning memo reviewed by The New York Times, the celebrations are scheduled to begin on Thursday. The memo says around 100 invited guests will attend a private rehearsal dinner at the Infosys Theatre, located inside Madison Square Garden, beginning at about 6 pm.
The gathering will not be open to the public. Officers from the NYPD, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department and Amtrak Police are expected to patrol the area during the event.
Wedding celebration expected on Friday
The main celebration is expected to take place on Friday, when as many as 1,000 guests could attend the event at Madison Square Garden. According to the internal memo, doors will open around 4 pm for a cocktail hour on the arena’s sixth floor. A wedding ceremony and reception are then expected to begin around 5:30 pm inside the arena and continue until about 2 am.
Taylor Swift has also applied for permits to close nearby streets, people familiar with the plans told the NYT. The expected closures include West 31st Street and West 33rd Street, which run alongside Madison Square Garden. The permit application covers the period until midday Saturday.
Several roads to close on Friday
Beginning at 1 pm on Friday, July 3, several streets around Madison Square Garden will be closed to vehicle traffic. The closures include Seventh Avenue between West 30th Street and West 34th Street, West 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, West 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, West 31st Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, and West 31st Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
From 1 pm on Friday, some sidewalks and streets will also be closed to pedestrians. The affected areas include the west side of Seventh Avenue between West 31st Street and West 34th Street, as well as West 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
Police said access to certain nearby streets will still be allowed but will be controlled. Managed access will be in place on the east side of Eighth Avenue between West 30th Street and West 34th Street, along with West 33rd Street, West 32nd Street and West 31st Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
The NYPD also announced parking restrictions ahead of the reported celebrations. Starting at 11:15 pm on Thursday, no parking will be allowed on West 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Police warned that any vehicles left in the area will be towed.
Access to Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall
Despite the road closures, officials said commuters will still be able to reach Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall. People travelling by subway, Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or New Jersey Transit are being asked to use the entrances to Moynihan Train Hall on the west side of Eighth Avenue at West 31st Street and West 33rd Street.
Managed access to Penn Station will also be available from the northeast corner of Eighth Avenue and West 31st Street.
NYPD confirms security plans but shares few details
Speaking during a news conference about Fourth of July security, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that police were preparing for an event at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
“There is an event that we are tracking at Madison Square Garden on Friday night,” she said. “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 City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also said officials were ready to manage large crowds. The event will take place during the already busy Fourth of July weekend, when police resources are stretched by several large public events.
Despite the expected crowds and road closures, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said train services would not be affected. “We expect service and access to Penn Station to remain normal throughout the holiday weekend,” an MTA spokesperson said.