UPDATED: Two Festivals Will Try to Break “Most Harrys in One Place” World Record on Same Weekend
UPDATE (October 31):
The counts are in! Bandon, Ireland, has claimed the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Harry Potter. The total number reached a whopping 1,088 Harrys! On the same weekend as the world record achievement, Bandon hosted the first-ever Taste of Bandon Festival. The festival was described as “an autumn celebration of abundance.“ Congrats to Bandon!
The previous record holder is West Byford Primary School in Perth, Australia. Students had assembled with a total of 997 Harry Potters in November 2017.
Wirksworth, England, was reportedly meant to host its record-breaking gathering the same weekend as Bandon, but new sources say the Wirksworth attempt won’t take place until July 2020. Sounds like Wirksworth is going to give Bandon a run for its money. Would you want to help break the world record?
—
One Harry Potter just isn’t enough for some people, but can you imagine 997 of them? That’s the current number registered with Guinness World Records for the largest gathering of people dressed as Harry Potter.
On November 22, 2017, 997 students of West Byford Primary School in Perth, Australia, gathered to set the record straight, as it were. However, that title may soon move on to another group of Harry Potters. Two groups in Bandon, Ireland, and Wirksworth, England, will simultaneously try to break the record this weekend.
In Bandon, the attempt will also take place on the same weekend as the inaugural Taste of Bandon Festival. Whether people are in attendance for the wizarding record or enjoying their time at the festival, there will be something for everyone to experience. Activities scheduled for the festival include kitchen experience workshops, a Halloween junior bake-off, and an area to learn how to knit your own Hogwarts scarf!
Just a hop, skip, and a jump away in Wirksworth, the attempt to claim the world record is happening in conjunction with the Wirksworth Wizarding Day charity event. Attendees who wish to participate in the record attempt will have to pay a small donation of £1. All proceeds from the event will go toward the charity Aquabox. Aquabox is a charity and volunteer group that provides water filters and emergency supplies in response to natural disasters and man-made conflicts. Attendance is expected to be in the thousands this year, but organizers say they are prepared to accommodate the crowd.
Both events are set to take place this Saturday, October 26. Those who are appearing at either record attempt are required to wear either a cloak or cape, glasses, and a tie, bring their wands, and display a lightning-shaped scar on their forehead.
To break the record, the groups must each not only recruit more than 997 people but also prove their triumph to Guinness World Record officials. Rules and regulations state that each attempt must have a submitted application, independent witnesses not participating, a photographer, and a videographer. Final submissions, according to Guinness, are often rejected due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Once the attempts to break the record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Harry Potter are finished, each applicant group will submit their attempt and wait for Guinness to make its decision. Only time will tell where the new world record will end up. Good luck to both Bandon, Ireland, and Wirksworth, England!
