More than 22,000 people showed up to a London music festival on Saturday wearing bald caps, setting a Guinness World Record and giving rapper and singer Pitbull one of the more unusual milestones of his career.
The record was set at BST Hyde Park, where Pitbull performed as the headline act. Tens of thousands of concertgoers gathered by the main stage before the show to be officially counted. The final confirmed number was 22,141 people wearing bald caps at one time.
Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, called the achievement a blessing. "Who would have ever thought a first-generation Cuban would be able to be in London record-breaking and record-making one for the Guinness Book of World Records," the Grammy Award winner told reporters. He thanked his fans, calling them "the baldies" and describing them as his "number one" focus.
The trend of fans showing up to Pitbull concerts dressed in his signature style, including suits, sunglasses, and bald caps, has grown globally over recent years. The BST Hyde Park show drew the largest crowd the festival has ever hosted, with capacity extended to nearly 70,000 for the occasion.
BBC Radio 1 Breakfast presenter Greg James and content creator Jack Remmington are credited with starting the record attempt. Remmington shared a video the previous year suggesting the record should be attempted at BST, while James helped get Pitbull on board.
Fans who attended in full Pitbull attire described the experience to BBC Newsbeat as feeling "sweaty and bald" but "amazing" in the 32 degree heat. They described Pitbull as "an inspiration" and someone who is "so fun" and brings "such good vibes." One fan said, "He just brings out the best in everyone." Another added, "Look at everyone, it's amazing, its great to be a part of this."
When Pitbull took the stage, the crowd of bald caps greeted fan favorites including Fireball and Give Me Everything. He also worked in Latin classics such as Daddy Yankee's Gasolina and played a mashup of club tracks during his costume changes. To close out the night, he performed the Oasis song Wonderwall, which has become an unofficial anthem for England during the ongoing World Cup. Before the song began, he told the crowd, "To be able to celebrate and congratulate each other - its an honour, its a privilege and its priceless."
Support acts Kesha and Lil Jon both joined Pitbull on stage for collaboration tracks. Kesha, who also wore a bald cap, and Pitbull both described their hit Timber as a track which "completely changed my life."
Pitbull was born in Miami to Cuban parents and began his career in the Latin hip hop scene. His debut album M.I.A.M.I. was released in 2004.
