The Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest applause has been broken in Uganda.
Phaneroo Ministries, a Ugandan Christian organisation, hosted the event dubbed "Clap for Jesus," according to a statement on the GWR website.
Some 926 people gathered at the UMA Multipurpose Hall in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, in July 2023 and clapped for a total of three hours and 16 minutes, maintaining an average sound level of 88.5 decibels dB.
For the attempt to be valid, they had to remain above 80 dB for the entire duration.
The previous record of two hours and five minutes was set in 2019 by Clark Stevens and The Festival of Awesomeness (UK).
Every participant was required to clap continuously throughout – if someone stopped, they were removed from the group by a steward.
Bathroom breaks were not permitted, however, if a participant became thirsty, a steward would assist them by holding a bottle of water to their mouth, which they could sip while continuing to clap.
The record attempt was live streamed and viewed by many people across Uganda, who clapped along to show support.
"In a time where many are struggling as a result of various life events, I wanted to bring people to a place of thanksgiving and celebration," Grace Lubega from Phaneroo Ministries said.
The record for the longest applause was originally set in 1991, when Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo was applauded for one hour and 20 minutes after a performance of Otello at the Vienna Staatsoper on July 30, 1991.
In 2002, that record was broken when the German band Grabowsky were applauded for one hour and 30 minutes after their performance.
