South Africans attempt world record for largest simultaneous cookout

Thousands of people gathered at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous cookout. Organizers expected approximately 3,000 participants to occupy around 500 grilling stations to surpass the previous record of 2,220 people, which was set in Ishigaki City, Japan, in 2023.

The event took place on Heritage Day, a national holiday often informally referred to as ‘Braai Day’ due to the country’s tradition of outdoor grilling. To qualify for the record, adjudicators required all participants to barbecue simultaneously for at least five minutes, with disqualification occurring if anyone left their station. Participants grilled various items, including steaks, chops, burgers, and boerewors, a traditional South African farmer's sausage.