A Full Timeline Of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s “So High School” Romance

It looks like Taylor Swift found something appealing about “dating the boy on the football team,” after all. Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, went extremely public with their relationship during multiple NFL games and Eras Tour PDA moments last year — and they’ve been living out their very own ~love story~ ever since.

Rumors of the duo “hanging out” started in September 2023, two months after the Chiefs player revealed his crush on the “Karma” singer. A little reminder: Kelce discussed Swift on his podcast in July, explaining how he wanted to meet her at the Eras Tour in Kansas City.

Then, in October, Swift and Kelce hard-launched with two public dates and a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live. Things have been heating up since then, with their sweetest moments happening on the field for Kelce’s latest Super Bowl win and on the stage for Kelce’s Eras Tour debut.

In other words, Swift and Kelce are living their finest rom-com fantasy. Here’s a full timeline of Swift and Kelce’s relationship so far, starting with their most recent sweet moments.

July 6, 2024: Taylor Sang A Mashup Of 3 Love Songs For Travis

Swift gave Kelce a three-minute shoutout during her acoustic set on July 6. The singer mashed up three songs from different eras: “Mary’s Song” from her debut album, “So High School” from TTPD, and “Everything Has Changed” from Red.

Her choice to play “Mary’s Song,” which she hasn’t sang live in 16 years, was especially telling. The lyrics go, “I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89,” a nod to Kelce’s jersey number and one of Swift’s most famous albums, 1989. In one video of Kelce during the song, he seemed to be crying at the lyrics.

June 23: Travis Joined Taylor On The Eras Stage

Swift shocked fans when Kelce made a surprise appearance on stage during her May 12 Eras Tour concert. Kelce appeared with two of Swift’s backup dancers ahead of her performance of “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.”

Kelce later explained on his podcast that it was his idea to join in the fun. “I would love to do that. Are you kidding me? I’ve seen the show enough. Might as well put me to work here,’” he told Swift at the time.

May 13: Taylor Sang Songs About Travis For The 87th Show

Swift has an eye for detail. In honor of her 87th Eras Tour show (reminder: 87 is Kelce’s jersey number) on May 12, she gave him plenty of mid-show shoutouts.

During the 1989 set, Swift chose a red and gold outfit, seemingly an ode to the Chiefs colors. Plus, when she performed “Blank Space,” she pointed at the crowd — specifically where Kelce was sitting — during one line: “‘Cause you know I love the players / And you love the game.” She also blew a kiss in that direction.

Then, while transitioning to “So High School” in her Tortured Poets set, Swift blew another kiss to that same section. Things got even more romantic during her acoustic set. “Did you know this is our 87th show?” she asked the crowd before playing a mashup of “The Alchemy” and “Treacherous” on guitar. (As if fans needed any more proof that “The Alchemy” is about Kelce.) Later, she played a mashup of two love songs, “Begin Again” and “Paris.”

May 9: Taylor Gave Travis A Nod During TTPD Setlist

Swift has given Kelce some obvious shoutouts during the Eras Tour — ahem, like the many times she has switched up the lyrics in “Karma.” And now that Tortured Poets has been added to the set list, she’s figured out new ways to show Kelce some love from the stage. During her first Eras show in Paris on May 9, Swift seemingly referenced her relationship with Kelce repeatedly.

The subtle shoutouts started during the transition between “But Daddy I Love Him” and “So High School.” At that point in the show, football stadium lights show up on-screen behind Swift and her dancers. (This has also prompted some fans to think that the ending of “But Daddy I Love Him” — where she flips the narrative into a more optimistic one — is about Kelce.)

The references got more obvious throughout “So High School.” The stage was set up to mimic the look of bleachers, while Swift’s dancers performed cheerleader-esque dance (with some moves resembling Kelce’s own touchdown dances).

During the set, Swift also did some “Swag Surfin’” — a song and dance by F.L.Y. that’s often played at Chiefs games. By the end of the song, there were red and yellow (like the Chiefs’ team colors) lights flashing on stage, too.

April 17: Travis Seemingly Dropped A TTPD Easter Egg

Swift surprised fans at 2 a.m. on April 19 by announcing that Tortured Poets was a double album with a total of 31 songs. But some Swifties anticipated the surprise since the musician had been throwing up peace signs — or, you know, the number two — repeatedly while teasing TTPD. (She even did it at the Grammys.)

While Swifties have been known to overanalyze things, they were right this time. Swift confirmed their theories when she announced the second installment of the album. “It’s a 2am surprise: The Tortured Poets Department is a secret DOUBLE album. ✌️,” she captioned her IG.

And she wasn’t the only one to use the gesture. During an April 17 episode of New Heights, Kelce also did a peace sign.

April 13: Taylor & Travis Went To Coachella

On April 13, Swift and Kelce went to Coachella for a date night — and Swift even donned a New Heights baseball hat for the occasion. (BTW, this was the first time Swift had been seen at the festival since 2016’s famous Bleachella moment.)

They were spotted in the crowd at Dom Dolla and Ice Spice’s sets, joined by Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter. Swift and Kelce were also photographed watching Bleachers perform.

In videos from the music festival, the couple was spotted dancing together — there was even a sweet clip of Kelce lifting Swift up so she could see over the crowd. In another, the couple cheered as Ice Spice performed her version of “Karma” — in the performance, she gave a special nod to Swift: “Shoutout to Taylor motherf*cking Swift.”

February 11: Taylor & Travis Had Their Main Character Moment At The Super Bowl

On Feb. 11, the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers and won the Super Bowl. This game was already set to be a major milestone in Swift and Kelce’s relationship, as it was rumored (and later, fan-calculated) that she might attend the championship game. True to the hearsay, the Tortured Poets singer appeared at the match with Blake Lively, Ice Spice, and the rapper’s younger brother Joey Gaston, who’s also a football star.

Swift was spotted cheering on her beau in the bleachers — well, technically a suite — several times, including the Chiefs’ final touchdown. The singer went down to the field and gave Kelce a few kisses, before admirably watching him ~scream-sing~ celebrate the team’s win.

That wasn’t the end of the Tayvis content. The couple later attended the Super Bowl after-party, where they kissed and sang their relationship anthem together: Swift’s “Love Story.” Kelce then dedicated “You Belong With Me” to the singer, sharing a sweet sing-off that some fans described as a “fairytale.”

Swift also used the after-party to finally post Kelce on her social media. During the festivities, Swift shared a funny TikTok of herself cringing as she watched Kelce party with her parents.

January 28: Taylor Congratulated Travis On The Field

On Jan. 28, the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens, advancing to the 2024 Super Bowl. Swift, who was watching the game with Ed, Donna, and Jason, ran down to the field to congratulate Kelce.

The couple hugged and kissed on the field — and seemingly said “I love you” to each other. In one clip, fans could hear Kelce asking Swift, “What’s up, sweetie?” In another, Swift told him, “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”

Swift was also filmed hugging Kelce’s parents and helping him find Jason so the brothers could celebrate his win together.

December 25, 2023: Taylor & Travis Spent The Holidays Together

Swift and Kelce hit another relationship hallmark on Dec. 25. That day, the singer and her family — Andrea Swift, Scott Swift, and Austin Swift — celebrated Christmas at Arrowhead Stadium. Kelce’s dad, Ed, was also at the game; meanwhile, his mom, Donna, skipped it. Instead, she was busy cheering on Jason at his Philadelphia Eagles game.

On Dec. 31, Swift and Kelce rang in the new year together at a party in Kansas City, joined by Brittany and Patrick Mahomes and Kelce’s mom. In a video from the festive event, the couple were even spotted kissing as the clock struck midnight.

December 6: Taylor Spoke About Their Public Relationship

When Swift was named TIME’s Person of the Year, she opened up about her relationship with Kelce for the first time. Apparently, they started seeing each other back in July. “We actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other,” she said. “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

Swift also touched on having a more public relationship this time around. “When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she added. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”

Later in the interview, she added, “Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years — I’ll never get that time back. I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago.”

November 20: Travis Talked About Taylor In A WSJ Interview

Kelce opened up about his relationship with Swift during a WSJ interview, which was published on Nov. 20. Apparently, one of his major concerns was about how he spoke publicly about the singer. “That was the biggest thing to me: make sure I don’t say anything that would push Taylor away,” he said.

Kelce shared some insight into what it’s been like to get to know Swift, calling her “hilarious” and “a genius.” He said, “I’ve never been a man of words. Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f*cking mind-blowing. I’m learning every day.”

Per the Chiefs tight end, the two have similar world views. “Everybody knows I’m a family guy,” he told WSJ. “Her team is her family. Her family does a lot of stuff in terms of the tour, the marketing, being around, so I think she has a lot of those values as well, which is right up my alley.”

Even though Swift’s fame is on another level, Kelce sounded like he was learning how to adjust. “Obviously I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them. I’ve never dealt with it,” he said. “But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it. The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she’s just living, enjoying life. When she acts like that I better not be the one acting all strange.”

November 11: Travis Went To The South American Leg Of The Eras Tour

The Chiefs’ bye week — the one week of the football season they don’t have a game — happened to coincide with Swift beginning the South American leg of her international Eras Tour. And Kelce made the most of his free week, flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina to watch Swift perform.

In July, Kelce saw the Eras Tour for the first time, watching Swift from his suite in Arrowhead Stadium. This time around, he secured a spot in Swift’s VIP tent, along with Swift’s father, Scott Swift.

Swift herself seemed to give her BF a loving shoutout during the show, as fans noticed she pointed in his direction when singing, “That’s my man” during “Willow.” That wasn’t the only lyrical shoutout Swift gave Kelce. During “Karma,” Swift changed the lyrics to, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me,” referencing Kelce’s football team.

At the end of the concert, fans caught a video of Swift running towards Kelce and passionately kissing him.

October 14-15: They Hard Launched Their Relationship In NYC

Swift and Kelce made their romance officially official on Oct. 14. The two had dinner at Nobu together before heading to Saturday Night Live for a surprise appearance. (Kelce came in during a sketch about the NFL’s obsession with Swift, while Swift introduced Ice Spice as the musical guest.) Afterwards, they went to the SNL after-party at Catch Steakhouse — and per sources, seemed like the “real deal” together.

“They were holding hands throughout the night, whispering into each other's ear, and they even exchanged some kisses,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. Apparently, the kisses were more innocent than raunchy. “He'd kiss her on her head,” the insider added.

“Taylor and Travis looked very comfortable and happy together. They were kissing openly and weren’t shy with their PDA," the ET source said. Apparently, Kelce’s protective side came out. “At one point, he actually told her security guard that he could step aside, like he'd take it from here.”

The next night, on Oct. 15, Swift and Kelce had another date night at the Waverly Inn in NYC. They were photographed leaving the restaurant, hand in hand.

October 6: Travis Said He’s “On Top Of The World”

During a press conference on Oct. 6, Kelce compared his love life to winning the Super Bowl. When asked how he was currently doing, Kelce said, “As all the attention comes ... it feels like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl and right now I’m even more on top of the world.”

Though the tight end said he was still figuring out how to handle paparazzi, he didn’t seem to resent the attention. “At the same time, it comes with it. It comes with it. You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have fun with it.”

The Chiefs player explained that he was focused on “living and learning and enjoying the moments,” while navigating the media frenzy around Swift and him.

September 27: Travis Gushed About Taylor On His Podcast

Kelce discussed Swift on his New Heights podcast — specifically, her “ballsy” decision to attend his game. “I just thought it was awesome that everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her. The friends and family. She looked amazing,” Kelce said, per Us. Later, he added, “I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend.”

He also made it clear that’s all fans would hear from him about the sitch. Per ESPN, Kelce said, “I know I brought all this attention to me... What's real is that, you know, it is my personal life. I want to respect both of our lives.” He acknowledged how Swift tends not to speak directly to the media. With the football season in full swing, that’s not really an option for Kelce, but he still wants to “keep it” to football talk.

September 24: Taylor Attended Travis’ Game

A few months after publicizing his crush, Kelce invited Swift to a Chiefs game. “I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court... I told her, you know, I've seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead [Stadium], you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one's a little more lit. So, we'll see what happens in the near future,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show on Sept. 21, per E!.

Three days later, on Sept. 24, Swift took Kelce up on his offer to host her at Arrowhead Stadium. At the Chicago Bears vs. Kansas City Chiefs game, Swift was spotted in the stands cheering Kelce on. Not only that, the singer was seated right next to Kelce’s mom.

After the game, Swift and Kelce left the stadium together — and one of them reportedly paid for dinner for an entire restaurant full of customers, so they could have the place (Prime Social Rooftop) to themselves.

Although this was their first public outing, they spent time together quietly before this and were officially a “couple” by then, per Swift. During Kelce’s WSJ interview in November, he reflected on their first date — which apparently happened in NYC, not KC. “When I met her in New York, we had already kind of been talking, so I knew we could have a nice dinner and, like, a conversation, and what goes from there will go from there.”

Apparently, before the date, his friend group was psyching him out a little bit. “Everybody around me telling me: ‘Don’t f*ck this up!’ And me sitting here saying: ‘Yeah — got it.’”

July: Travis Talked About His Crush On Taylor

In a July 26 episode of his podcast, Kelce recalled to his brother Jason Kelce how he lost his chance with Taylor during her tour. “I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” he explained. “So I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”

That bracelet had his phone number on it, BTW. He added, “She doesn’t meet anybody, or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal.”

Despite the initial disappointment, some unidentified friends helped make their meet-cute happen. “There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner [who said]: ‘Yo! Did you know he was coming?’ I had somebody playing Cupid,” Kelce told Wall Street Journal in a Nov. 20 interview.

And per Swift, they started seeing each other soon after his podcast dropped. “This all started when [Kelce] very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” she told TIME in her 2023 Person Of The Year interview in December. “We started hanging out right after that.

Kelce told WSJ that it was Swift who reached out to him directly. “She told me exactly what was going on and how I got lucky enough to get her to reach out,” Kelce added. Apparently, her cousins had something to do with it. “She’ll probably hate me for saying this, but…when she came to Arrowhead, they gave her the big locker room as a dressing room, and her little cousins were taking pictures…in front of my locker,” he said.