Bieber-fever is sweeping the capital as thousands of fans gather in Ottawa for the famed pop star's performance Tuesday night.
Sixteen-year-old Justin Bieber arrived at Scotiabank Place on a bus mid-Tuesday afternoon.
The teen, who was raised in Stratford, Ont., quickly rose to stardom when he was discovered two years ago after posting his music on YouTube. He is now considered a music phenomenon.
"He's an awesome singer and he's really good looking," said one fan.
"I think he's sexy!" added another.
"He's my inspiration . . . brings me smile," said a fan who travelled from Montreal for the show.
Larger than life
Hot 89.9 radio host DJ Mauler says Bieber's success is linked to social media, which has made him larger than life for many tweens.
"For a lot of people that are 12 or 13 years old, this is their Beatles," said Mauler.
"It's stuff like Facebook and Twitter that's blown him up even bigger than what these other bands were in the past."
Hours before the concert, fans were already waiting to catch a glimpse of Bieber. Some even spent the night.
TV and books
The tween heart-throb is not only a music star; he's also branching out into TV and books. Bieber recently appeared in a guest role on CSI. He is also a spokesperson for the Proactiv acne line. A book about his life is due out in October.
Beiber's Ottawa performance follows hit concerts in Toronto and London, Ont. Next, he will head to the United States for shows there before coming back to Canada to play in Winnipeg and Regina in September. He is also due to perform at the upcoming MTV Music awards.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem and files from The Canadian Press
