'She's this generation's Elvis' - fans descend on Cardiff to watch sell-out Taylor Swift gig

Get your friendship bracelets at the ready because Taylor Swift is coming to town.

Tens of thousands of fans have descended on the capital ahead of the pop star's performance at the Principality Stadium tonight.

Some Swifties arrived outside the stadium in the early hours, to secure a place in the queue.

Meanwhile, another queue for Taylor Swift tour merchandise began snaking through the capital on Monday afternoon.

Geography hasn't stopped some fans. One family outside the stadium on Monday said they had travelled from Indiana, USA, to watch the show. "If we're going to see Taylor, we might as well see the world!"

Isobel has also come from Dallas, Texas with her sister, saying it was much cheaper to make the trip here than to buy tickets in America.

Although she lived in London for a year and "loves the UK", it's her first time in Wales.

"It's a mini-adventure, I guess," she said. "It's beautiful, I wish it was more sunny, but I love seeing all the Welsh everywhere! It's really cool- it makes it worth it because I get to explore while I'm here!"

Another fan from across the pond said "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I didn't get to see Elvis, I didn't get to see the Beatles, so this is the next best thing! This is this generation's Elvis!"

Heidi and Ella Rosok-Dahl have travelled from Norway to see Taylor Swift in Cardiff. Ella, 14, said, "I haven't really realised it - I think I am going to go into shock tomorrow when I see her.

"She has great songs and I think she connects with the fans in a very special way."

However, her mum, Heidi, admitted, "I wouldn't say that I deserve to called myself a Swiftie - I'm a bit embarrassed that I don't know all the songs.

"I try to pretend with this t-shirt!"

Like thousands of fans, Ella and Heidi are wearing an arm-full of 'friendship bracelets'. Ella explained: "We trade them before the concerts. Because she says in one song 'Make friendship bracelets' and then it just became a thing.

"We go up to people and swap them, it will be super fun just getting to know new people".

  • What do the Taylor Swift 'friendship bracelet' mean?


Martana Gargare, from Madrid, will be seeing the international Era's tour for the third time in Cardiff.

"I always say I'm a person who doesn't like to spend money, but for Taylor Swift I'll do whatever - it's crazy, it's not something you cannot really explain to someone who doesn't feel it", she said.

"You feel she understands you somehow at some level, when I met her I was in a sad period of my life and I felt like she could understand me and that was a match!"

There were some Welsh fans too, one said "We can't believe she's actually coming to Cardiff, I feel like the big artists never really come to Wales so it's really exciting!"

Excitement is building as Swift's Eras tour touches down in Cardiff. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

As fans descend from Norway, Indiana and a little closer to home, travellers are warned to leave plenty of time to make their journeys.

Roads in and around the capital are expected to be extremely busy ahead of the show.

There will be several road closures to accommodate the tens-of-thousands of fans. According to VisitCardiff, the High Street, Saint Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street and Central Square are among the roads that will be completely closed from midday.

The last time Cardiff hosted Ed Sheeran, concert-goers were stuck in car parks for hours and there were tailbacks on the M4. When international superstar Beyonce performed in the Welsh capital, no trains were running on several routes due to engineering works on rail lines.

There isn't any planned disruption for the Taylor Swift gig, but Transport for Wales (TfW) have warned that "trains are expected to be very busy". There will be "additional capacity where possible on routes in/out of Cardiff".

A queueing system will be in place outside Cardiff Central after the performance. TfW have told customers "to allow plenty of time for their journey".


Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…