Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly getting married this holiday weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with a private ceremony on July 3 followed by a party for 1,000 guests. However, the event has sparked significant backlash due to extensive street closures and disruptions, despite the couple's $26 million charity donation.
Wedding Details and Reports
According to various reports, after an intimate rehearsal dinner on Thursday night, Taylor and Travis will have a private ceremony on July 3 ahead of a huge party at MSG with 1,000 guests and live musical performances. Neither Taylor nor Travis has personally confirmed this information, but clues include massive activity outside Madison Square Garden, such as deliveries of a giant bed, and NYPD announcements of street closures.
Street Closures and Disruptions
On Thursday, the NYPD announced a series of street closures around Madison Square Garden for the weekend. Starting at 11:15 p.m. Thursday, no parking was allowed on West 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. From 1 p.m. Friday, five streets are closed to vehicular traffic: Seventh Avenue between 30th and 34th Streets, 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. Pedestrians are not allowed on the west side of Seventh Avenue between 31st and 34th Streets or on West 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. There will be “managed access” to five surrounding areas, including reduced access to Moynihan Train Hall and Penn Station, forcing commuters to use alternative entrances.
Public Backlash
Many social media users expressed outrage over the closures. One person wrote: “This should never happen for a private event. No one private citizen, no matter how wealthy, famous, and/or popular, should have the power to shut down this much of a city for a private event.” Another asked: “I honestly don't understand this. Like a rich person can just close down streets for their party?” A third shared: “My friend had to pay $400 for an uber home when closures smaller than this happened during the Knicks game because they would not let her into Penn with a ticket - even at the ‘open’ entrances. $400 instead of $15 home. Mind you some people could not afford to get home.” Another tweet read: “She’s a billionaire making people’s lives unnecessarily difficult for her own pleasure - on 4th of July of all weekends.” One viral post added: “On a holiday weekend. Amidst all this worldwide suffering, the ultra-wealthy still have no compunction. Unreal.” Somebody else wrote: “This is genuinely so embarrassing and I don’t know how you justify it,” while another concluded: “Disruptive, unnecessary, and above all, incredibly tacky.”
Charity Donation
The details of the road closures came shortly after Taylor’s rep announced that she and Travis had made a donation of $26 million to a number of charities ahead of their speculated wedding weekend, with many of them located in New York City.
