New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has confirmed that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce covered substantial permit fees for their Fourth of July wedding celebration at Madison Square Garden.
At a recent press conference, Mamdani revealed that Swift had already paid the full cost of the city permit, which exceeded $160,000. “Taylor Swift 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,” the mayor stated. He noted that the permit was finalized just days before the wedding took place.
.@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
The disclosure comes after the celebration drew criticism for requiring street closures in Midtown Manhattan on Independence Day. Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis publicly questioned whether taxpayers should bear the burden of security costs, tweeting that “Our officers are already working overtime for 4th of July festivities & NYC taxpayers should NOT be on the hook.”
Prior to their wedding, the couple made headlines for donating $26 million to 20 U.S. charities. While exact wedding expenses remain undisclosed, luxury event planner Lindsay Landman estimated the total cost could fall between $20 million and $25 million.