When pop star Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce, got engaged last summer in the backyard of his Kansas City home, there was an immediate, pressing and singular question on fans’ minds: when and where will the wedding be?

Fans may finally be about to get their answer.

Swift, known for dropping hints to bigger plans in everything from her wardrobe to music and tours, has kept mum about her upcoming nuptials, but that has not stopped the world from speculating.

Endless rumours about where and when the two would tie the knot began to become clearer once the New York Times reported that permits had been requested for a large event at Madison Square Garden (MSG).

These requested permits run from Thursday into the weekend and will shut down several blocks in the busy Manhattan area.

Intrigue reached a fever pitch, with everyone from potential guests to New York city officials being quizzed for any information on what the long weekend could bring.

The Big Apple is also hosting World Cup games and America’s 250th birthday events while sweltering in a heatwave.

Details continue to trickle out through news reports, following a Thursday night gathering of celebrities known to socialise with the couple.

Clues range from what trucks are unloading into the area, to an apparently leaked wedding weekend schedule – and who might be in attendance.

Here is everything we do – and don’t – know about the possible celebrations, with the big day itself rumoured to be Friday 3 July.

The short answer: maybe.

City officials confirmed to the BBC that someone applied for a street closure permit near the arena over the 4 July Independence Day weekend.

The BBC’s US media partner, CBS News, said on Tuesday that the couple are planning a rehearsal dinner for about 100 people at the arena’s Infosys Theater.

And high-profile friends of the couple, including actress Lena Dunham and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, were spotted on Thursday evening in formal attire.

On Thursday night, Swift and Kelce donated $26m (£19.4m) to charities in the US close to their hearts, including organisations in New York, Nashville – where Swift started her music career – and Kansas City, the home of Kelce’s NFL team.

Swift’s representatives, while not mentioning anything about a wedding, told BBC News the donation was for “charities across the United States”. Food banks are among the recipients of the donations.

A second, larger celebration has reportedly been set for Friday night into Saturday morning that could accommodate about 1,000 people.

The event will reportedly feature musical talent and a massive set is being constructed inside the arena for the event, CBS reported on Wednesday.

Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the New York City mayor’s office, told the BBC a permit was filed in early June to close roads around arena from 2 to 4 July.

Access to Penn station – the busiest rail hub in the country, situated beneath MSG – will also be restricted, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

The New York Times (NYT) first reported the news and that several players on Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs American football team had booked hotel rooms nearby. The paper has not explicitly said the arena event is a wedding.

TMZ and other outlets have been speculating that MSG, a 22,000-seat arena that is typically used for large concerts and home to the New York Knicks basketball team, would host the wedding celebrations.

Swift herself has performed there eight times during her two-decade career, at awards shows and during her Fearless and Speak Now tours.

During a news conference on Wednesday, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted the department was staffing an event at the arena later this week.

She said police have a detail in place, but did not disclose specifics. When asked about a previous terror plot surrounding one of Swift’s concerts in Europe, Tisch said that the NYPD’s intelligence and counterterrorism divisions had examined this event like they do all major events in the city.

“We will make sure that we have the appropriate resources based on their assessments for that specific private event as we do for all major events,” she said.

Crews have been spotted unloading foliage and boxes labelled “branches” into the arena, along with boxes of food – including one with lobster.

Speculation has swirled for weeks about who might attend the wedding, and family and friends have remained mostly tight-lipped about the guest list.

NFL San Francisco 49ers player George Kittle, singer Benson Boone and English actress Suki Waterhouse have been some of the few to confirm they will be going, but revealed no details.

And stars from all over the globe have gathered in the Big Apple ahead of this weekend and the potential celebrations.

Among those in New York with links to the couple are BBC presenter Graham Norton, who Swift invited to the ceremony on his chat show last year. Another BBC man in the city is Radio 1 host Greg James, who was also personally invited by Swift during her recent album promotion tour.

Singer Ed Sheeran, Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, singer Camila Cabello and actress Anya Taylor-Joy, all of whom have been known to socialise with the star, have spotted in the area. Singers Dua Lipa, Camila Cabello and close pal Sabrina Carpenter have also been spotted recently.

Longtime friend Selena Gomez and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff are expected to be guests. Childhood friend Abigail Anderson Berard, who has been in multiple Swift music videos, will likely be in attendance.

Mother of the groom Donna Kelce was seen arriving in New York City on Thursday, hours before the supposed rehearsal dinner at Madison Square Garden.

Some fans are curious to see whether her one-time bestie actress Blake Lively, who drew Swift into a bitter legal battle with Lively’s It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, will be invited. Model Karlie Kloss is among those who have reportedly received an invite.

Other speculation has revolved around potential performers, including Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw – music legends who have inspired the superstar throughout her career.

The speculation is likely connected to Swift wearing a T-shirt that read “Stevie Knicks” when she was at MSG earlier this month for a Knicks basketball game.

According to the Guardian newspaper, about nine top designers could be in line for the wedding dress commission of the century, including Dior’s Jonathan Anderson, Swiftie favourite Oscar de la Renta, and all-American icon Ralph Lauren.

The newspaper says several looks are in the running, with a number of outfit changes throughout the celebrations likely.

Fashion editor Savannah Bradley told the BBC that the singer also has close relationships with designers Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Sarah Burton.

Something from Oscar de la Renta or Christian Siriano could be right up Swift’s alley, she said. “A corset wouldn’t shock me. She loves a corset.”

And Sarah Chapelle, writer and founder of fashion blog Taylor Swift Style, pointed out that Kelce “genuinely loves fashion” and might make an eye-catching groom.

“You will often see Travis sporting patterns or bright colors – pieces that are bold, playful, and fun. A colourful jacket for the reception and beyond seems up his alley.”

More and more signs of wedding preparation have emerged, as media reports continue to mount.

Large trucks were seen at the venue throughout the week, with loading signs that read “Garden Party” and “GP”. Crews have been seen in recent days unloading stage equipment, lights and other gear.

Crews were spotted unloading one large black box labeled “40-inch mirror ball” and a large white staircase railing. Many of the items, though, were indistinguishable, draped in black wrappings or in wooden boxes.

Journalists have also seen workers unrolling a large red carpet on the steps of the arena on Tuesday but it was removed quickly.

Some were spotted bringing boxes of food inside the arena – including what appeared to be lobster.

The vast number of deliveries might help answer how the couple would transform the sports arena into the wedding venue of their dreams.

Media reports have included possible plans to build a massive set inside the arena, with some speculating it could include a castle and garden area. The couple also reportedly plan to include several musical acts.

On Thursday – hours before what may have been the couple’s rehearsal dinner – crews were seen setting up a large canopy tent in front of the arena.

The BBC was told this is where many guests are expected to enter but others – including VIPs and the bride and groom – will arrive through underground parking areas, away from the swarm of media and fans outside.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been offering cheeky hints. He previously noted the city was hosting a World Cup match on the same weekend as “Taylor Swift’s wedding”, adding that “we are used to big events” in New York.

Mamdani dropped another hit on Tuesday during a news conference about the heatwave expected to hit the city this weekend.

“If you happen to be getting married at MSG, you will be staying inside and staying cool, and I think it’s a good example to set for the city at large,” he said.

If the wedding is in fact at the arena, the couple would not be the first to wed there.

Kathy Silva and singer Sly Stone married at the Garden, as it is often dubbed, in 1974.

Eight years later, in 1982, 2,075 couples simultaneously got married in a mass wedding sponsored by The Unification Church. This was not the first time the church hosted an event like this, but it was the first time at MSG.

Information has also surfaced purportedly showing a timeline of how the wedding celebrations on Thursday and Friday will run.

The BBC’s news partner CBS reports that on Thursday, a smaller rehearsal dinner took place at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. About 100 people are expected.

The event was set to begin around 18:00 ET (23:00 BST) and run till 22:30 ET – though CBS noted their sources said the times could change.

The big day is expected to be Friday, 3 July, CBS reports, when about 1,000 people will gather at the arena for a much larger celebration.

Doors will open around 15:30 ET and a cocktail hour will be hosted on the 6th floor concourse of the arena. Typically, this area of the arena is used as a large walkway for sports fans and features food and drink concession stands.

After that, a reception will run from 18:30 ET to 02:00, though the times could change.

Plans are said to include guests entering MSG through a special VIP area that will be covered with a tent, CBS reported.

Security officials are expecting about 500 vehicles to bring guests.

US media and devoted fans have acknowledged that the permit, hotels and apparent preparation could still be part of an elaborate ruse, a decoy event so Swift and Kelce have privacy during their actual wedding.

Speculation has been ramping up to incessant levels and media coverage of the high-anticipated event has equated their nuptials to America’s version of a royal wedding.

Online prediction market Kalshi has said the nuptials have already generated more than $4.5m (£3.4m) in wagers.

No-one has confirmed to the BBC that the wedding is happening over Independence Day weekend, or that the wedding is happening at the arena.

The alleged event is one of several that some suspect could happen that weekend, celebrating the couple’s possible wedding. Several US media outlets have reported the couple will marry in a small ceremony before the large celebrations at the arena.

Just like when Swift releases new music and her lyrics are dissected for any hints about her personal life, her legion of fans around the world have been scavenging for clues to her nuptials.

When it comes to New York, Swift’s love of the Big Apple can be found in her music and some have even pointed to her recent appearance at Madison Square Garden during the Knicks playoff series in early June as a possible clue. The star also owns a home in the city.

There have been some other geographic theories about where the couple’s wedding could be.

Swift owns a home in the US state of Rhode Island, a picturesque coastal location for a summer wedding.

She was at that estate just before she met Kelce.

In a now-famous Instagram post shared just after Independence Day weekend of 2023, Swift posted: “See you tonight Kansas Cityyy.”

Many fans have latched on to the idea that Swift would appreciate the symbolism of marrying Kelce nearly three years to the day since she met her future husband.

There was the debunked theory that Swift wanted to hold her wedding at a Rhode Island venue nearby her coastal estate, and offered another couple a significant amount of money to move their wedding date so Swift and Kelce could host theirs. The venue refuted that account.

Speculation of a possible Rhode Island wedding mounted in June, with paparazzi snapping photos of weddings in the area (that they later found weren’t celebrating the famous couple) and fans swarming the area. Swifties who turned up at the site last month were left disappointed.

Then there were other theories: Kansas City, where Kelce lives and works, Swift’s home state of Pennsylvania, and the NFL star’s home state of Ohio.

But on timing, the singer is a big fan of the 4 July holiday, giving further credence to the theory that she would choose the US holiday weekend as a possible date.

To many fans’ dismay, no, the couple have not said anything about their upcoming nuptials or if all the speculation about the weekend wedding festivities in New York is accurate.

The BBC has contacted representatives for the pair, but they have not commented.

But like the rest of the world, we’ll be waiting to see their happily-ever-after.

Additional reporting by Tom McArthur