Leicester Square was awash with pink yesterday as a sea of Barbie fans flooded the capital for the film’s European premiere.
They queued from as early as 3am in the hope of catching a glimpse of the real life Barbie, Margot Robbie, or her charming himbo companion Ken, played by Ryan Gosling. Both were in London for the film’s European premiere, along with fellow cast members Will Ferrell, Hari Nef, and Simu Liu, among others.
Despite the movie not being released until next Friday, its pre-release promo has driven people Barbie-mad. Fans all over Leicester Square were sporting the outlandish costumes from the film, turning the queue into a sea of bubblegum pink.
“I’ve been a fan of Barbie for as long as I can remember, so this is really big deal for me,” said 20-year-old Becca, whose love for Barbie flourished after she was given her first doll, a Barbie Fairytopia, when she was young.
Becca and her friends Phoebe, 21, and Kevin, 26, arrived at Leicester Square at 5am to stand in line and collect their entry wristbands for the premiere. There were 400 wristbands available to superfans, allowing them access close to the red carpet (though not into the film). All the wristbands had all been given out by 11am.
After securing their wristbands, Becca’s group went back to their hotel to get changed into their outfits – a roller Barbie, roller Ken and Ken doll respectively – then immediately returned to the queue. “There was no napping involved, we literally got changed, got the Tube and came straight back to the queue,” says Phoebe.
As a line of fellow Barbies jostle anixously behind them, Becca describes the atmosphere as “so nice,” saying, “Everyone’s here for the same reason, you know? So you end up talking to people you wouldn’t ever have a reason to talk to.”
Everyone wants to talk to Barbie fan Chloe, who bears a slight resemblance to Margot Robbie and is walking around holding a sign that says “I wanna ride you, Ken!”. There’s a charming picture of Ryan Gosling, in his sleeveless denim jacket, beneath.
“I love Barbie and I love Margot Robbie,” says 25-year-old Chloe, who lives in Brighton but is originally from Australia, where Robbie also hails from. She’s also a fan of Ryan Gosling, which would explain the sign. “I just love his Kenergy,” she says, “I think Margo has got BBE as well, which is big Barbie energy, and I’m just obsessed with it.”
Chloe first arrived at Leicester Square at midday to soak up the Barbie vibes, but she also hopped around the city yesterday to see the new Barbie landmarks – including a pink Tardis near Tower Bridge and Barbie’s iconic corvette, parked beneath the London Eye.
But no one is as committed a Barbie fan as Claudio, a professional Barbie collector and customiser. “Of course I’m a big Barbie fan, I’ve been one since I was a child, when I used to play with them,” he says.
Claudio arrived in Leicester Square at 7am, grabbed his wristband and then left the queue for a bit to go and chill at home, which he says is nearby. “I’m lucky that I live 30 minutes away, I’ve seen people here that have been here since this morning and not left, because they come from abroad or another city.”
When asked why he’s so keen to attend to the premiere, Claudio explains that he is mainly attending for Margot Robbie, who he considers to be a “perfect” choice to play Barbie. He’s less fussed about the Kens, “Barbie is everything, Ken’s just Ken,” he says, sagely.
