A crowd of 22,141 people set a new world record at the BST festival in Hyde Park, London, on Friday afternoon by dressing up as the American rapper Pitbull.
As reported by The Guardian, the audience members wore white shirts, black ties, aviator sunglasses, and tight plastic headwear to break the official record.
Guinness World Record Verification
Will Munford, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, confirmed the record as the "largest gathering of people wearing bald caps."
The adjudicator clarified that participants had to wear a bald cap to be counted, rather than relying on natural baldness.
Organizers deployed 400 volunteers to individually check people entering the venue, along with drone footage and 42 counters backstage to verify the numbers.
Munford noted that the massive gathering was approved due to the high level of community participation, calling it "not novelty."
He added that many everyday concertgoers got to take part in record-breaking who wouldn't have had the chance in the past.
Pitbull's Reaction
The artist expressed his amazement on stage while accepting the official certificate from the organization.
"I'm speechless. Who would have thought a first-generation Cuban would be record-breaking and record-making?"
said Pitbull.
The performer previously agreed to the attempt over text message after the idea gained traction online, replying with "Dale!"
The rapper acknowledged his massive audience during his performance as the sun went down over the London venue.
"It's a blessing and an honour to see the baldies in London," said Pitbull, who has embraced the online movement by using the nickname "baldies" for his fanbase.
Origin of the Record Attempt
A podcast host originally initiated the record attempt by posting a satirical video on social media when the concert series was announced.
"This whole thing is happening because of me," said Jack Remmington, noting that his original online suggestion was intended entirely as a joke.
He calculated that the total venue capacity would easily surpass the previous milestone requirements, saying there were "easily enough to break the world record of people cosplaying as Pitbull."
Fan Experiences
High demand caused local costume shops to completely run out of the specific headwear before the concert started.
"I went to three different fancy dress shops this week and they were all sold out," said Lucy, a concertgoer, who explained her concerns about showing up without the proper costume and sticking out "like a sore thumb."
She described the shared experience among tens of thousands of people inside the venue as "the only people in a sea of bald caps without one.
It feels like an inside joke with 60,000 people."
Other attendees joined the gathering to enjoy a night of nostalgic pop music and escapism.
"It's the least pretentious crowd I've ever been in at a gig," said Shawna, adding that dressing up offered a fun distraction from stressful global events.
"The world is literally burning, so why wouldn't I stick a bald cap on and dance around to some pop bangers I loved at uni to feel something good?"
said Shawna.
