Pitbull made good on a promise on Friday night, July 10, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps during his headlining set at BST Hyde Park in London.
According to Billboard, the record-keeping organization confirmed that 22,141 fans had gathered near the main stage wearing bald caps before the show began, with some on-the-ground reports suggesting even more people were dressed up than the official count reflected.
The look was not random. Fans showed up in full costume, wearing aviator shades, white shirts, black ties, and fake beards, an homage to Pitbull's appearance in the "Back in Time" video from Men in Black 3. In the weeks before the show, Pitbull had been actively hyping the record attempt on Instagram, giving fans instructions on how to be properly counted and posting videos of fans getting into costume.
When the Guinness representative announced the final number, the crowd erupted. Pitbull then addressed the crowd.
"I'll tell you what. I'm speechless at this point, but I can tell you this much: I say it to the Baldies all the time at the shows, when ya'll put on them bald caps you know you're about to have the TIME OF YOUR LIVES! And now you're officially in the Guinness Book of World Records. Dale!" he said.
Backstage, receiving his official Guinness plaque, Pitbull reflected on the moment. "Who would ever thought first generation Cuban would be able to be in London record-breaking and record making, it's history in the making," he said.
The record was not the only milestone of the night. Park officials reported more than 77,000 tickets sold for the show, making it the most-attended gig ever held in Hyde Park. Pitbull performed for two hours backed by a full band and six dancers, billed as his "Most Bad Ones."
Earlier this year, speaking to the BBC, Pitbull explained what the bald cap tradition means to him at his concerts. The trend has become especially common among his female fans and has grown into one of the defining features of his live shows.
The BST Hyde Park record attempt was the culmination of months of build-up between Pitbull and his fan base, who call themselves Baldies.
