Permit obtained by AP shows schedule for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding

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.

A black vehicle enters Madison Square Garden ahead of a reported wedding between Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

K-9's walk into Madison Square Garden ahead of a reported wedding between Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

A worker unloads portable air-conditioning units outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of a reported wedding between singer Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

A truck is unloaded outside New York's Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A worker holds "No Parking" signs prior to posting as trucks fill the loading dock outside New York's Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

FILE - Travis Kelce, left, and Taylor Swift pose after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

A truck is unloaded outside New York's Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mohamed Salah is in the starting lineup for Egypt's debut in the knockout round of the World Cup against Australia despite a hamstring injury sustained in the group stage finale.

The former Liverpool star was set for the start at the home of the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, a day after coach Hossam Hassan said through a translator he was hopeful Salah would play but might have to come off the bench.

Salah needs one goal to tie Hassan's Egyptian record of 69 international goals. The 34-year-old team captain has appeared in 119 international matches.

Salah was replaced in the 57th minute of Egypt's 1-1 draw against Iran that sent the Pharaohs to the knockout round for the first time in their fourth World Cup. Hassan said Salah went through limited training in the days before the Australia game.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Egypt's Mohamed Salah (10)and Iran's Ali Nemati (19) battle for the ball during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Egypt and Iran in Seattle, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Egypt's Mohamed Salah (10) participates in a training session in Dallas, Thursday, July 2, 2026, ahead of the team's World Cup soccer match against Australia. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)