Taylor Swift fans have started lining up for the pop star’s sold-out Wembley Eras Tour more than 24 hours before the doors open.
Some 90,000 people will flock to Wembley Stadium tomorrow night when the Bad Blood singer kicks off a mammoth four-day music marathon at the stadium, much to the delight of her London fans.
Expect Taylor Swift to sing London Boy and The Black Dog as two of her surprise songs, in a nod to the time she spent in the capital with ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
Ahead of the much-anticipated gig, the star is rumored to be staying at a £3,000-a-night retreat in the Cotswolds, close to Soho Farmhouse and a private airport.
He has already wowed fans with performances in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff, punctuated by marriage proposals, a Welsh welcome and even a small earthquake.
Taylor Swift performs at Groupama Stadium on June 2 in Lyon, France for the Eras Tour
Fans wait to enter Wembley Stadium in London, ahead of Taylor Swift’s first concert in the city
Taylor Swift fans have started lining up for the pop star’s sold-out Wembley Eras Tour more than 24 hours before the doors open.
Fans create friendship bracelets as they wait to enter Wembley Stadium in London
Fans wait to enter Wembley Stadium in London, ahead of Taylor Swift’s first concert in the city
As the countdown to tomorrow night began, fans have already started lining up and are exchanging friendship bracelets to pass the time.
Bead bracelets have become a staple for Swifties at their concerts, and many exchange them with each other as a show of unity and friendship.
Others have begun lining up to buy merchandise sold by the singer and painting their nails in preparation.
Brian Wood, 56, is first in line for Friday’s show as he waits for his 16-year-old daughter, Caitlin, to join him; the couple plans to attend all three shows.
The Philadelphia corporate tax attorney said he first checked the size of the line on Sunday afternoon, but after realizing no one else had arrived, he retreated to his room at the Novotel near the stadium.
Sitting by the fence in a camping chair since Thursday morning, Mr Wood said: “I’m not giving up the place.” If I left, I would disappear.
‘My daughter is a big Taylor Swift fan. I’m saving the place for him, that’s what parents do.
Wood said he has been working since he arrived Sunday taking work calls in his hotel room.
He said, “I’m getting a little sleep, not a lot.” I have a sleeping bag in my tent.
Brian Wood, a Taylor Swift fan from the United States, shows the back of his shirt while waiting at the Red Zone VIP entrance.
Taylor performed three concerts at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield stadium to begin the UK leg.
‘That’s how we always do it when we go to shows. It’s a better experience when you first walk in.
‘If you are in front, the artist is there. For us it is worth the time and hassle. The reward comes when you are inside the arena.
Lucy Smith, 40, has been sitting outside with her daughter Ella Smith, 15, since 2pm on Thursday.
Smith, who works in customer service, said she made the trip from Wales especially for the concert and had never seen Swift perform.
She said: ‘It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. My daughter is a big Swiftie. She’s been planning this for a year.
‘We are going to continue alternating shifts. We have a room at the Premier Inn, so we’ll take a nap and then change.
María Barrientos and Manuel Cordero, both 27 years old, have come from Cádiz, Spain, to witness Friday’s performance.
Barrientos, who works in finance and has seen Swift perform four times, said the couple didn’t plan to wait in line, but changed their minds when they saw a line forming.
Cordero, who works for a translation company, said: “We wanted to see it very closely. We thought, if there are people waiting in line we have to be there.
Barrientos, who claims to have listened to the singer’s music since she was a child, added: ‘We paid 400 euros each for the tickets. We have to make it work.’
As the countdown to tomorrow night began, fans have already started lining up and are exchanging friendship bracelets to pass the time.
Fans wait to enter Wembley Stadium, ahead of Taylor Swift’s first concert in London
Some have been spending up to £300 on tour merchandise at a pop-up shop outside Wembley Stadium before the singer performs in London.
The store, which is open to everyone, sells t-shirts, hoodies, posters, bracelets, water bottles and tote bags featuring Swift’s 2023-2024 Eras tour dates and branding.
Items range from £15 for a poster to £70 for a beige hoodie.
The most popular item, according to staff, is the Eras Tour gray quarter-zip fleece (£65) which features a colorful pop art-style collage of Swift.
Since 10 a.m. Thursday, more than 2,000 people had entered the tent, set up in a parking lot east of the stadium, according to security official Khan Balayt.
Nikki Nesh, who works in marketing, was one of them.
Ms. Nesh was celebrating her 27th birthday and will attend Friday’s show.
Nesh, from Streatham, south London, said he spent £120 on merchandise and £249 on tickets to see Swift play on Friday and another show in August.
She said: ‘It wasn’t bad. We budget a lot more than that.
‘(Swift) is just amazing. I have grown up with Taylor Swift. I have been a fan since I was 12 years old.
‘I love everything about her. Her lyrics, her narration.
‘She gets a lot of hate, but she’s a good role model. She makes me feel like I can do anything, that I can achieve anything I want.’
Nesh’s friend Jenny Ansell, also 27, added: “You feel the lyrics and think: I’ve been through that.”
Ansell, a carer from Romford, said she spent £300 on products at the pop-up shop.
She said: ‘(Swift) made me feel very safe. I’ve only been a fan for a year.
Mrs. Nesh interrupted: “I converted her and turned her into a Swiftie.”
Nesh showed off her wrist filled with homemade friendship bracelets with key facts and quotes about Swift that she exchanges with other fans.
One bracelet featured the number 13, which Nesh said was Swift’s “lucky number.”
Vivian Huang, a 24-year-old Chinese student studying law at Queen Mary University, said she spent £140 on merchandise plus a £500 ticket to see Swift play at Wembley on Friday night.
Ms. Huang said her favorite song was Enchanted, adding, “When I met my boyfriend, I listened to that song a lot.”
Taylor Swift took to her Instagram on Thursday to share several stunning concert snaps.
She praised the Cardiff fans saying: ‘Cardiff!! “It was the first time I played in Wales and it was really out of control in the best way – looking at that huge sea of people jumping and dancing… I’ll never forget it.”
Taylor started the show by welcoming her fans and saying in Welsh ‘Croeso i’r daith Eras!’ which translates to ‘Welcome to the Eras Tour’ in Cardiff
Violet Tang, a friend of Ms. Huang, will watch Swift play on Sunday.
The accounting student at King’s College London said: “Taylor Swift is popular in China.”
He said it didn’t matter that few people could understand the meaning of Swift’s songs, because the “melodies are memorable.”
‘We listened to his songs at school. We learned English grammar from her,” he added.
Danny Nash, 40, said he would not be attending any of Swift’s shows but was purchasing products for his 15-year-old daughter.
Nash, a technical services manager who lives next door to Wembley Stadium, said: “I couldn’t afford the tickets so I bought the merchandise.”
He said that when Swift played Friday night, “my daughter was just riding (outside the stadium) on a Lime bike to listen to the music.”
The pop-up store opened on Thursday and will close on June 23.