Die-hard Beliebers wait outside 3Arena in the cold Tuesday night for the first of two Justin Bieber concerts
All aboard the red line Bieber train to 3Arena. Gaggles of girls adorned with dark glittery purple and blue eye shadows pack into the Luas Tuesday evening, 2 hours before the start of Justin Bieber’s Purpose world tour. Your average work commuter needs to push their way through the pre-teen crowd and safely out the door.
With one stop to go before being dumped in front of the venue, a section of the Luas breaks out into a chorus of “Baby, baby, ohhhh’s,” singing louder and louder as the tram nears the pop God.
Thousands of fans are queued around the building and out to the street. Many are huddled together, trying to keep warm in the sudden November chill. Someone wraps an Irish flag around her bare shoulders. The “#1 Bieber Fan” t-shirts, hats, and brightly glowing merchandise are not enough to keep the fans from shivering. But the cold and the hungry keep satiated with their boiling excitement.
One young Bieber lover, Charlie Treehy, has been a fan since 2009, “Everyone was talking about him and I was looking at him…I fell in love!” Like many others in line, she has been anticipating the event since last Christmas when tickets went on sale. “As soon as I get in there I’m going to cry right away.”
However, Chloe Guildea only found out two days ago that she would be attending the concert. Her boyfriend randomly surprised her with the tickets after buying them off his little brother. When asked if he is a Bieber fan, he looked at his girlfriend and replied, “I have to go.” Another man nearby, closely resembling the star in hairstyle, claimed “I don’t even like him.”
What exactly about Justin makes the scene outside 3Arena look like Beatle-mania? Tara Parke easily chimes in, “He is gorgeous!!! And his music of course.” The crowd near the entrance suddenly bursts into joyful screams as the line moves closer. Tara most looks forward to hearing him sing ‘Sorry,’ which she predicts will be his encore.
“I think he’s a really good artist and never fails to impress all of us,” adds Amy Carroll. Another girl reflects, “I’ve always liked him. Even when everyone hated him.”
For some, the Purpose world tour marks their third time seeing the Beebs. Deborah Corcoran recalls the last time he came to 3Arena, “I couldn’t believe it all! It was pricy enough but it was really worth it. We got so much merchandise that he signed. I got a picture with him and front row seats as well.” This time around, they will be pushing forward to the front stage.
Donning the Canadian singer’s face, Ellie O’Leary and her cousin, Amy, gush that they are most looking forward to seeing his beautiful face. “We’ve been fans since 2009 because that’s when he first was discovered and really blew up. ‘One Time’ was the first song we listened to.”
Queueing anywhere from five minutes to two hours-or, camping since the morning- the crowd came from near and far to see the concert. Two sisters from Cork came up in the morning and, “Went shopping and got food.” On the Bieber Scale they would say “REALLY big fans.”
Brittany Mason, also a REALLY big fan on the scale, believes, “I’ll probably faint” when Justin enters the arena. This is her first time seeing the singer live. Standing next to her friend in a Metallica t-shirt, she says, “We came from Belfast to see him.”

If the excitement out in the freezing cold is any indicator of what it will be like inside, Justin Bieber better watch out for the devoted fans.