Fire up the Grills! Thousands of South Africans Try to Set a Record for the Biggest Cookout
Guinness officials are reviewing evidence after thousands of grillers gathered at 500 stations to beat a 2,220-person world record, organizers said.
- On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, thousands of South Africans gathered at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to attempt breaking the world record for most people grilling simultaneously on Heritage Day.
- The record to beat was 2,220 set in Ishigaki City, Japan, in 2023; South Africans were determined after a failed attempt last year.
- Guinness World Records adjudicator Paulina Sapinska monitored compliance, enforcing rules requiring participants to grill simultaneously for a minimum of five minutes, with disqualification for leaving stations.
- Organizers expected around 3,000 participants at around 500 grilling stations; Sapinska stated she and other officials are currently reviewing the evidence gathered.
- The final determination on whether a new world champion has been crowned will not come until Friday, leaving South Africa awaiting the official word from Sapinska and other officials.
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Fire up the grills! Thousands of South Africans try to set a record fo
Participants grill meat during an attempt to break a world record for the most people cooking simultaneously at a barbecue at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)
Fire up the grills! Thousands of South Africans try to set a record for the biggest cookout – WTOP News
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Armed with their tongs and sausages, thousands of determined — and hungry — South Africans gathered on a national holiday Thursday to attempt to break the world record for the biggest cookout. The record to beat for most people grilling simultaneously was 2,220, set in Japan’s Ishigaki City in 2023....
Thousands of people gathered on the national holiday in Pretoria to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people barbecuing at the same time.
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