Entertainment25 September, 20262 min read
Thousands Gather At Loftus Versfeld Stadium In Pretoria To Attempt Guinness Biggest Braai Record
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Nearly 3,000 attendees gathered at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria for Heritage Day braai. About 500 cooking stations were installed for the World’s Biggest Braai attempt.
Braai record attempt
Thousands of South Africans gathered at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Thursday, September 24, to attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people grilling barbecue simultaneously. Guinness World Records adjudicator Paulina Sapinska oversaw the effort, and the rules required participants to grill simultaneously for at least five consecutive minutes and stay at their post for the entire sequence.
Organizers installed about 500 cooking stations for the try called The World’s Biggest Braai, and they aimed to beat the previous record set in Japan in November 2023 with 2,220 participants. Africanews said nearly 3,000 South Africans gathered for Heritage Day, while AP said organizers expected around 3,000 participants and placed participants around the 500 grilling stations.
Rules, adjudication, and food
Paulina Sapinska said the attempt would be counted only if everyone grilled simultaneously for at least five consecutive minutes and stayed at their post, and she added that leaving would disqualify participants. Africanews said officials were reviewing aerial videos, access logs, and commissioners’ statements to verify the number of participants who followed the rules, with a final verdict expected on Friday.
AP described the menu for the record attempt as including boerewors, burgers, steaks, and lamb chops, and it said the braai is known as “Braai Day” during Heritage Day. Rethabile Ntsoko told the event that “It’s something that brings us together,” while Dylan Jardim said around 3,000 people were expected around the 500 cooking stations.
Heritage Day and next verdict
AP said the mass cookout came on Heritage Day, a national holiday where people are encouraged to show off and celebrate their own specific heritage, and it described the event as a South African pastime called a “braai.” AP reported that participant Alex Coetzee took part in the 2025 record attempt and said, “It’s gonna be better (this time),” as he argued, “We’re actually gonna break the world record now.”
“We’re actually gonna break the world record now. South Africans have the record and that’s the most important part.”
Africanews said organizers announced that funds raised during the event would help finance one million meals distributed in South Africa on World Food Day. AP said Sapinska kept the country on a knife edge by saying officials were reviewing the evidence and that the final word on whether there was a new world cookout champion might only come on Friday.