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On the streets of New York City, cars are honking, trucks are unloading and wedding bells are ringing. After nearly a year of breathless speculation, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce seem set to host their wedding festivities smack in the middle of the Big Apple at Madison Square Garden tomorrow, creating a cultural spectacle in the middle of a sweltering heatwave and Independence Day celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary.

On Thursday morning, the streets around the arena were closed to traffic but open to pedestrians. A white tent was being constructed on the 31st Street side of the stadium, as a flurry of cars pulled up. Visible packaging included chicken wings from Amick Farms, large bags of ground beef and a large box from Brooklyn’s Northside Bakery. When approached by the Guardian, a gaggle of staffers with lanyards were adamant about the secrecy. “We don’t know anything!” one said.

By 1pm, no crowds of Swifties were to be found. Only a few curious fans were braving the unrelenting heat to get close to the action by walking around the block and snapping pictures.

Jill Barlow, a resident of the Upper East Side of New York who has seen Swift on tour multiple times, made the trek downtown to scope out the scene and noted a conspicuous detail. “I think the biggest tell yet is that there’s no Knicks championship decorations in the main entrance of the Garden any more,” says Barlow, noting that it was previously plastered with regalia celebrating the team’s recent NBA championship win. “That tells me something is up.”

Reports indicate that a smaller gathering will take place inside the arena’s ancillary Infosys Theater tonight, presumably a rehearsal dinner. Tomorrow, an afternoon cocktail hour will probably give way to a 5.30pm wedding with a reported 1,000 guests, with a reception to follow and last into the night.

“It’s going to be Beatlemania, Pride and Lady Di marrying Charles combined,” said longtime Swift observer Malcolm Mackenzie, the author of The Taylor Swift Book: The Ultimate Guide to the Music, Life, Eras and Legacy of an Icon. “She’s a massive goofball for an over-the-top moment and loves a big hoopla.”

On 33rd Street in Manhattan, members of the media were staked out on the patio of an adjacent restaurant to catch a glimpse of that hoopla. Two police officers stood guard, and two ambulances were parked inside the blocked-off perimeter. In between deliveries, mechanical spikes in the street sprouted up to thwart any vehicular intruders.

Chloe, a 14-year-old visiting from Michigan with her sister, meandered to the area from where they were staying to investigate the hype. “We were just going to walk here and walk back, because it’s very hot,” she said. “It definitely looks like they’re setting stuff up, but we’re not sure what yet.”

“I wonder if it will be insane around here later,” said Diego, a 23-year-old student who resides in the Lower East Side. “But having a wedding in Madison Square Garden sounds tacky; I’m not sure any level of decor would make that cute and romantic.”

Rumors have swirled for weeks that the superstar couple will say “I do” in the massive space. Yesterday, the Associated Press confirmed the nuptials, citing a law enforcement official. Meanwhile, the office of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that a permit had been filed for a “large event”.

On Monday, eagle-eyed observers noticed trucks starting to pull up to Madison Square Garden’s loading dock. Initially, the vehicles taped over any identifying markings, with shipments shrouded in tarps. Eventually, onlookers and the press caught glimpses of everything from a 40in mirrorball, to boxes of lobster and a tree adorned in twinkle lights getting hauled into the space. Workers even unfurled a red carpet down a flight of stairs, before rolling it back up in advance of the day. (It is said that the bride and groom prefer purple.)

Details otherwise have been scarce, with invitees sent texts and calls instead of paper invitations. They were also asked to sign multiple NDAs and told not to bring phones inside the venue. Media reports have singled out Tim McGraw and Steve Nicks as among potential musical performers.

Swift herself said she was going to have a giant wedding during an October appearance on The Graham Norton Show while publicizing her recent album The Life of a Showgirl. “I know it’s going to be fun to plan, because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount [of guests], and people are on the bubble and you have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them to see if they should be there,” she said. “I’m not gonna do that.”

Criticism around the event has taken aim at the resources involved. It has been reported that more than 130 police officers will be in place to manage what will presumably draw giant crowds of onlookers outside during the already busy 4 July holiday weekend. “The NYPD will of course have a detail in place, but I’m not going to go into more specifics at this time,” said the New York City police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, during a press conference. To perhaps head off some of the criticism, Swift and Kelce announced today that they are donating $26m to charities across the US.

There will no doubt be an insatiable appetite for every detail once the ceremony wraps up. “We will be desperate to see the dress, see how she wore her hair and if she goes with a signature red lip,” Mackenzie says. “I didn’t think I cared, but now I’m thinking about it and I’m excited. This is how she gets you.”