Fans of international singer Laufey caused quite a commotion in Sydney on Friday morning as they snaked a line around one of the city’s bustling business districts, Martin Place.
One would think that the huge queue throughout the famous pedestrian walkway was to catch a glimpse of the Icelandic pop singer.
But in reality, the massive line was filled with fans hoping to score one of 300 free Laufey-branded hoodies being given away.
Yes, thousands of fans queued up as early as 5:30am to beat the peak hour rush (and other hoodie hopefuls) all for some free merch being handed out from a teeny-tiny pop-up store located by the Lloyd Rees Fountain.
In addition, they lined up in the hope that their idol, scheduled to perform in Sydney tonight, might even make an appearance.
“Hi, it’s Laufey,” the singer herself said in an Instagram video shared three days ago to promote the event in collaboration with Spotify. “If you’re one of my top Spotify fans in Australia then you may have seen something special in the app.”
“On August 7th in Sydney, you can bring this proof along to get your very own personalised hoodie, which we’ll embroider with evidence that you’re a top fan. Check out the details below for all the info,” she added.
Social media has since been flooded with videos from this morning showing Martin place more crowded than usual at 8:15am.
The event was supposed to run from 9am to 5pm, but it clear Spotify underestimated Laufey’s fan base because not only was the event forced to start earlier than planned, but by 8:30am Spotify announced on Instagram Stories that all the hoodies were “officially gone”.
“Huge thank you to every top listener who came done today and showed your love for Laufey,” read the message. “If you’re repping your new merch at Laufey’s concert this weekend, tag @spotifyaunz in your pics + stories so we can see! Bye for now … but not forever.”
Fans who had lined up for the free merch were not surprised – one even “woke up at 3 train at 4 lined up at 5:30am” and went home empty-handed.
“I knew I had no chance for that jumper,” one commented on Instagram, as another wrote, “Packing it up waited from 6 and got nothing.”
“I got there an hour and a half early and the line was down past the theatre royal. i left after a staff came past and was like there’s 6/700 ppl ahead of you and there’s only 300 hoodies,” another fan shared.
“Saw it as soon as i came out of the metro station and knew it wasn’t gonna happen,” another added of the massive line.
Meanwhile, onlookers were left confused as to what the crowd was lining up for, with many hilariously speculating on the various social media clips.
“Free hash browns at Maccas down in Wynyard station, it’s worth the wait,” one fan joked as another wondered, “Don’t tell me it was for a scroll it’s like 5 degrees.”
“Must be Pokemon release day,” another said in jest, as one mused, “Is there a new labubu?”
Fans who missed out on the free merch can still catch Laufey live in concert this weekend, with select tickets still available for her Sydney show on Friday and Saturday night at Afterpay Arena in Olympic Park.
The 27-year-old also performed in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane this past week as well as three massive shows at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
“Kangaroo season, “ she captioned a carousel of photos of her time in Australia so far, including snaps of her hitting the cafes in Melbourne and meeting quokkas in Western Australia.
For the uniformed, Laufey is much loved by her Gen Z audience thanks to her whimsical musical style and ability to blend genres such as modern jazz, traditional pop and classical elements in her music.
She is best known for her viral hit From The Start, as well as fan favourites Falling Behind, Promise and Let You Break My Heart Again.
After getting her start as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at age 15, she became a finalist on Iceland’s Got Talent in 2014 and reached the semi-finals on The Voice Iceland in 2015.
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