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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Fiona Brown

Billie Eilish fans camp out days in advance of Glasgow gigs

FANS of an American pop star have queued up days ahead of her two Scottish shows. 

Billie Eilish will play two sold-out nights at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on July 7 and 8 in support of her Grammy-winning album, Hit Me Hard and Soft. 

Viral social media videos showed concert goers lined up along the Finnieston Tunnel as early as Sunday, with several fans setting up tents ahead of an overnight stint to secure spots at the front of the crowd. 

Campers were moved from the tunnel to the grounds of the Exhibition Centre on Monday morning. The National spoke to fans about why they had arrived so far in advance. 

One person attending Tuesday’s show told us he started lining up on Sunday evening to “secure [his] place” in front of the stage.

“I’ve [camped] last year for the Happier Than Ever tour and have done it for a few other artists I love like Olivia Rodrigo, so I’ve definitely experienced this kind of thing before”, he said. 

“I get more anxious about the queue and getting into the venue [than camping] but the people are always really nice so it’s not that bad.

"I started camping last night about 10 o'clock because I wanted to secure my place for [Tuesday's] show. Then I'm going to London and maybe Manchester, but I haven't decided yet."

Two girls who had travelled from Paris for this week’s Glasgow gigs gave a simple answer when asked why they had opted to camp: “Why not?”

They continued: “We were in London for a few days and decided to come here to see Billie. We have already had our tents and everything. 

“We like the vibes and being around the [fans], and the people are very nice.” 

A third said she had seen others lining up early and decided to follow suit, saying: “We saw so many people doing it so we decided to do it too.

“I’ve just loved her forever, I love her music. I’ve even got a tattoo for one of her songs.” 

Eilish, known for hits like Birds of a Feather, Happier Than Ever and Bad Guy, began her 14-month tour in Canada in September 2024, coming to Scotland this week as part of the European leg. 

The tour will conclude in November with two nights at the Chase Centre in San Francisco. 

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