It was a September game day unlike any other in Chiefs Kingdom.
At least that’s how some associated with the team recall that fateful day on Sept. 24, 2023, when pop superstar Taylor Swift made an internet-breaking appearance at Arrowhead Stadium to support her boyfriend, star tight end Travis Kelce, with the early days of their relationship taking center stage in episode three of the ESPN docuseries “The Kingdom,” currently streaming on ESPN+.
“I remember [Chiefs president] Mark Donovan, on a Friday afternoon, called me and told me that Taylor Swift was going to be coming to the game,” Lara Krug, the Chiefs’ chief marketing officer, said in the program. “I remember getting off the phone and looking out the window, being like, ‘Huh, that’s a big deal.'”
Krug went into Donovan’s office, where the two comprehended the surreal situation.
“Lara Krug walked into my office, closed the door and is like, ‘Can I ask you a question?’ And I’m like, ‘Absolutely.’ [She said], ‘This isn’t like normal, is it?’ And I’m like, ‘No, Lara, this is not normal,'” Donovan reflected.
When game day against the Bears officially arrived, Swift — who had been linked to Kelce in the summer of 2023 — was featured on the broadcast in a suite with the tight end’s mom, Donna Kelce.
“We’re like, ‘Oh, my God, Travis pulled Taylor Swift,'” star defensive tackle Chris Jones said in the docuseries.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whom Kelce told about Swift earlier in the week, was awestruck on the sidelines, telling his pal, “That’s the first person I noticed. I didn’t see anybody else.”
Not long after the Chiefs took care of business with a resounding 41-10 victory, Swift and Kelce, both 35, exited the stadium together.
And, as they say, the rest is history.
Together for roughly two years, Swift has supported Kelce at Chiefs games across the past two seasons, including the team’s Super Bowl triumph in 2024 and their crushing championship defeat this past February.
The 10-time Pro Bowler has also been there for Swift, joining her on the road at various stops during her blockbuster Eras Tour, which wrapped last December after a nearly two-year run.
This past week, the 14-time Grammy winner sent the internet into a tailspin once again when she appeared on Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast with his older brother, Eagles legend Jason Kelce, to announce her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
The album drops Oct. 3, weeks after Kelce kicks off his 13th season in the league.
The Chiefs open against the Chargers in Week 1, an international clash in São Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 5.