49ers, Chiefs clash in Vegas Super Bowl spectacle

LAS VEGAS —The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs clash in a blockbuster Super Bowl showdown here Sunday as Las Vegas stages the American sporting showpiece for the first time.

The glittering gambling capital in the Nevada desert is crackling with anticipation ahead of an NFL championship game that has topped even the usual stratospheric levels of hype.

The romance between pop megastar Taylor Swift and the Chiefs’ charismatic Travis Kelce is just one of the storylines of a game that is expected to smash US television viewing records.

Swift is reported to have arrived back in the United States en route to “Sin City” on Saturday after making a 5,530-mile (8,900km) trans-Pacific dash across the international dateline following a performance in Tokyo on the latest leg of her money-spinning world tour.

The singer will be among a crowd of celebrities, VIPs and high-rollers packed into the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium to see if Kelce and the Chiefs can clinch a third Super Bowl crown in five seasons.

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates around 500 private jets will touch down in Las Vegas for the game, while local officials say more than 300,000 visitors have descended on the city for the Super Bowl weekend.