Taylor Swift paid “over $160,000” to obtain NYC Permit for MSG Wedding, says mayor Zohran Mamdani
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has said that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce paid over $160,000 (£119,000) to get married at Madison Square Garden.
- READ MORE: Taylor Swift – ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ review: magical when the songwriter just lets herself be
The couple announced their engagement last August and tied the knot at a star-studded ceremony at New York’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month. Since then, they’ve been criticised for shutting down several streets in the Midtown area, with some politicians calling on Swift and Kelce to reimburse the New York City Police Department and taxpayers.
Now, Mamdani has set the record straight on the costs of the wedding, telling reporters that Swift spent a considerable sum to obtain a permit from the city to shut down the streets around the venue.
The mayor was responding to a reporter, who asked him: “Could you also confirm that Taylor Swift will be paying the city back any and all money for police overtime, and if so, how much and to whom?”
Speaking at a consumer protection press conference, Mamdani said Swift had already paid “the cost of the permit that was lodged, which was over $160,000 for that event and for the response to that event.
“That was a permit that was finalised, I think, just [in] the days before the event itself.”
.@NYCMayor Mamdani on Taylor Swift paying New York City back for police overtime during her wedding: “Taylor Swift will be paying… has paid already the cost of the permit that was lodged, which was over $160,000 for that event and for the response to that event.” pic.twitter.com/rlYhUmi9AS
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 10, 2026
Little has been revealed about the wedding, but, per a statement from Swift’s longtime publicist, Tree Paine, the couple did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, Swift’s brother Austin Swift served as her “Man of Honour” and Jason Kelce (Travis’ brother) was the groom’s Best Man.
The ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler, who reportedly offered the couple some “touching” words of advice.
Performances came from Paul McCartney and Stevie Nicks, and guests in attendance included Ed Sheeran, Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Lena Dunham, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Zoë Kravitz, Aaron Dessner, the Haim sisters, Sombr, Ellie Goulding, Camila Cabello, Machine Gun Kelly, the Chainsmokers, Lucy Dacus and Benson Boone.
Graham Norton, who notably appeared in Swift’s music video for ‘Opalite’, was in the crowd as well.
Other guests who attended the wedding include Marisa Hargitay from Law & Order: SVU, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Jessica Chastain.
Ahead of the wedding, it was also shared that Swift and Kelce donated $26million (£19.5million) to 20 charities across the United States earlier in the week.
The post Taylor Swift paid “over $160,000” to obtain NYC Permit for MSG Wedding, says mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared first on NME.
