Harry Styles couldn't resist making a joke about Madison Square Garden's ability to host more than just concerts and basketball games during his latest show at the iconic New York City venue.
While performing at MSG on Saturday night, Aug. 29, Styles gave a shoutout to the arena and the newly crowned NBA champion New York Knicks before slipping in a reference to another major event that recently took place inside the building.
“Madison Square Garden, home of the world champions: the New York Knicks… and they also do weddings,” Styles joked as the crowd erupted.
The latter part of Styles' comment appeared to be a nod to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who held their massive wedding at Madison Square Garden on July 3.
The joke carries an additional layer given Styles' history with Swift. The two briefly dated from 2012 to 2013, and their relationship has remained a subject of fascination among fans more than a decade later.
Styles reportedly received an invitation to Swift and Kelce's wedding but was unable to attend because he was performing at London's Wembley Stadium that night as part of his Together, Together tour. His fiancée, Zoë Kravitz, attended the ceremony without him.
The wedding reportedly brought approximately 1,000 guests to MSG, including Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Emma Stone, Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lawrence, and Steven Spielberg.
Adam Sandler reportedly officiated the ceremony, while Swift's brother Austin served as her Man of Honor and Kelce's brother Jason was his Best Man.
George Stephanopoulos, who attended the wedding, later described how the massive arena was transformed for the occasion.
“Who knew that a wedding in Madison Square Garden could be so intimate?” he told ABC News, adding that Sandler was “funny and touching” while describing Swift and Kelce's vows as “real, vulnerable, serious and silly.”
Styles and Swift's musical history has also remained a topic among their respective fanbases. Swift's 2014 hit “Style” has long been speculated to have been inspired by the former One Direction member.
Styles addressed the speculation in 2020, saying he found the idea of someone writing a song about him flattering.
“Even if the song isn't that flattering, you still spend time on it,” he said at the time, while also calling Swift “a great songwriter.”
Styles' Madison Square Garden performance was the third show of his 30-date New York residency, which began Aug. 26 and is scheduled to run through Halloween.
