Superfan arrives 30 hours early for Taylor Swift’s London concert

By Imogen Howse via SWNS

Meet the woman first in line for Taylor Swift's return to Wembley - a Spanish-born superfan who turned up almost 30 hours early.

Superstar Swift, 34, kicks off her five-gig run in London on Thursday - and her devoted fans are already queuing for the best spots.

Gabriela Padilla, 26, arrived at 11am Wednesday despite the fact that doors don’t open until 4pm on Thursday.

She was officially the first person in the queue.

The long-time Swiftie, who is from Madrid but lives in London, said: “I did it for her concerts in June and I made the most amazing memories.

“I actually got my ticket for [Thursday] from one of the people I met in the queue.

“Fans were here from all over the world and the vibes were great. I still chat daily to the people I met that night.”

The marketing executive arrived prepared for her near 30-hour camping stint.

She said: “I’ve got a blanket to sit on and a thermal blanket to keep me warm.

“I’ve got food, water, my outfit for tomorrow. Plus friendship bracelets to make and trade.

“I’ve also got some lanterns to hold up as a fan project during Taylor’s ‘evermore’ set.”

Gabriela, who has been a fan of Swift since 2009, admitted she was “surprised” that there weren’t already more people queuing for tomorrow’s concert.

“When I did this last time I was around 13th in the queue when I got here,” the Swiftie said.

“But I think people are a bit more cautious this time after the terrorist threat in Austria.

“I know there has been a lot of stuff about how fans won’t be allowed outside the stadium.”

Sisters Chloe, 21, and Coco, 19, the only other fans in the queue, agreed.

Chloe said: “I was sure there would be more people.

“But yeah. I think people are more scared at the moment so that might be why.

“I feel safe, though. There are going to be more police because of what happened.”

Last week Swift’s gigs in Vienna, Austria were cancelled over an alleged terror plot.

Wembley say security has been stepped up for the upcoming London concerts as a result - with fans without tickets forbidden from gathering outside the stadium.

But it hasn’t stopped Gabriela, Chloe, and Coco.

Chloe said: “I camp quite a lot for concerts. I’ve got my essentials - food, blankets, tent, water, portable charger. I did the same for Olivia Rodrigo."

But for Gabriela, there’s only one artist she would brave the elements for.

She said: “I never camp for any other concerts. But for Eras, it’s worth it. I would only do it for Taylor Swift.

“Last time, I only got about an hour of sleep. But I ran on adrenaline, got barrier exactly where I wanted, so it was worth it.”

Elsewhere in Wembley Stadium grounds, fans were queuing for early access to Swift’s merchandise yesterday.

The queues were sizeable for a day before the concert - but no one had to wait for more than an hour.

Many chatted away and sang along as Swift’s tunes rang out through the warehouse.

Security were checking people’s bags before they entered and a few Met Police officers were seen roaming the site.

However, there will likely be a much larger presence today.

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