Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have not confirmed the wedding rumors. New York commuters, however, are already dealing with the fallout.
Reports suggest the couple’s much-discussed wedding celebrations are tied to Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend, with a private ceremony expected Friday, July 3, followed by a large evening party at the venue.
Neither Swift nor Kelce has publicly confirmed the plans. But speculation grew after activity around Madison Square Garden this week, including deliveries spotted near the arena, and after police released a traffic plan for the area.
The NYPD said no parking began late Thursday on West 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. From 1 p.m. Friday, five streets around the venue were closed to vehicle traffic, including sections of Seventh Avenue and several blocks around West 31st, 32nd and 33rd Streets.
Pedestrians were also affected. Police described some areas as under “managed access,” with people using Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall told to use alternative entrances for subway, Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit service.
That is where the celebrity spectacle turned into a local argument. Social media users complained that a private event appeared to be disrupting a dense part of Manhattan on a holiday weekend, with some questioning why any celebrity event should affect access to major transport stations.
The backlash comes after Swift’s representative announced that she and Kelce had donated $26 million to several charities ahead of the rumored wedding weekend, including groups based in New York City.
For fans, the mystery is part of the fun. For New Yorkers trying to get through Midtown, the romance now comes with barricades.
