Taylor Swift's wedding and 4th July - big money celebrations take over NYC

**Bisi Adebayo** (0:02)
A big birthday, a big wedding, and big temperatures. It's a big weekend in the United States. It's World Business Express from the BBC World Service. I am Bisi Adebayo.
America celebrates its 250th birthday as a heatwave sent electricity demand soaring, while New York prepares for one of the year's biggest celebrity events. Also, Russia takes more steps to tackle its growing fuel shortages.
A very big weekend indeed for businesses in the United States as the country celebrates its 250th birthday. In New York in particular, it's even bigger with the rumored wedding later today of singer Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelcey. But the weather is causing problems. We're talking 40 degrees heat, which is pushing power usage to its limits, with people being urged to reduce how much they use at certain times. Well, the cost to buy electricity by the power grid is 68% higher than what it was a year ago because of the demand. Mayor Zoran Mamdani said New Yorkers have been told to take extra care in the heat.

**Zoran Mamdani** (1:14)
If the forecast holds, this could be the hottest 4th of July since 2010 I have activated the city's heat emergency plan and we will issue targeted warnings through our city's advanced warning system to protect vulnerable New Yorkers.

**Bisi Adebayo** (1:27)
But I tell you what, that heat isn't stopping many fans from gathering in New York, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom today. I feel like this is the American Royal Wedding at this point.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:37)
We came all the way from Little Rock, Arkansas, just to celebrate Taylor's wedding and congratulate her.

**Bisi Adebayo** (1:42)
And the celebrations are taking place in the heart of Manhattan, with tight security, rolled closures and large tents to keep the event out of the public eye. But what's the price tag for an event like this? Mary Roloff is a reporter with Forbes.

**Mary Roloff** (1:56)
Forbes is estimating that it's going to cost at least $20 million, and that does not include $5 to $10 million of security that comes with shutting down the streets and making sure that the New York Police Department is prepared for any crowds that may gather or fanfare. But yeah, we're definitely expecting a huge security presence. We here at Forbes have estimated that her net worth has gone up almost double in the last couple of years since she started the Heiress Tour, and right now we think she's worth 2.1 billion.

**Bisi Adebayo** (2:24)
And with all this going on this weekend in the heat, how's it affecting business? I've been speaking with the local business owner, Renzo Cuadros, who's head of New Yorker Tours.

**Renzo Cuadros** (2:35)
Really right now in New York, we're having a great time because we are celebrating one of the most biggest celebrations in all United States, that is the 250 years of the anniversary of the independence. So in New York, we're having a lot of events all together, like the 4th of July fireworks of Macy's. We're having also the World Cup happening. We're having a big parade in the rivers of New York City. And plus we're having the Taylor Swift celebration today, that the people is getting very excited, you know, a big event. It's private, but for sure always the people that are following Taylor Swift is going around and checking what's going on in the area. Yes, we really don't know how it's gonna be because today we're having a heat wave here in New York.

**Bisi Adebayo** (3:18)
Are you seeing an increase in the number of tourists coming in or people wanting to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift's wedding?

**Renzo Cuadros** (3:26)
Wedding, exactly not really, but we know that Taylor Swift has a lot of followers in New York City and also inside United States. So we don't see that increase in that for Taylor Swift, but yes, we saw that a little bit for the World Cup and the other events that we have in New York.

**Bisi Adebayo** (3:42)
And the heat wave now, tell us what's it like? Is that affecting your business? Is that affecting the number of tourists coming in perhaps? Or have you had people cancel because of that?

**Renzo Cuadros** (3:55)
That we're getting like almost 40 degrees. Yesterday we're having 38 degrees and today we're gonna heat like 40 degrees this afternoon. So weather happening, I don't know how it's gonna be people that are gonna go to see Taylor Swift. For instance, us as a tourist company, we have in private tours in court. So all is in air conditioning is not affecting to us.

**Bisi Adebayo** (4:16)