Mayor Zohran Mamdani addresses Taylor Swift's MSG wedding police costs
Mamdani responds to criticism over police at Taylor Swift's wedding
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared Taylor Swift covered the cost of the police presence at her wedding to Travis Kelce by paying more than $160,000 for the permit required to host the event at Madison Square Garden.
The mayor addressed criticism over the large security operation, which reportedly involved between 150 and 200 law enforcement officers during the star-studded celebration.
Mayor says permit covered police response
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mamdani said Swift had already paid the costs associated with the city's response through the event permit.
"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," he said.
The permit reportedly allowed the couple to close streets surrounding Madison Square Garden from July 2 to July 4.
Wedding security drew public attention
The high-profile wedding attracted widespread attention, with estimates suggesting police deployment alone could have cost between $120,000 and $160,000.
Questions were raised over whether taxpayers would cover the expense, prompting the mayor's clarification that the permit fee accounted for the city's response.
Couple also donated to charities
Ahead of their wedding, Swift and Kelce announced $26 million in charitable donations to 20 organisations, including New York-based charities such as City Harvest, Food Bank NYC and New York Cares.
Mamdani, who has previously described himself as a Taylor Swift fan, revealed before the event that a major celebration would take place in Manhattan over the Fourth of July weekend, although he was not among the reported 1,000 guests invited to the ceremony.
Star-studded celebration reportedly cost millions
The wedding has been estimated to cost between $20 million and $30 million.
According to wedding industry estimates, major expenses included hiring Madison Square Garden, transforming the venue with elaborate décor and florals, luxury catering and custom Christian Dior Haute Couture wedding outfits for the bride and groom.
