A small town in western France has officially claimed the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Smurfs, with over 3,000 participants turning Landerneau into a sea of blue over the weekend.
Located in the Brittany region with a population of around 16,000, Landerneau had twice attempted to surpass the previous record held by Lauchringen, Germany, where 2,762 Smurf-costumed participants gathered in 2019.
This time, on Saturday, the French town succeeded, drawing a crowd of 3,076 people fully dressed in blue outfits, white hats, and cheerful smurf-like face paint.
“We smurfed the record,” one enthusiastic participant declared, capturing the playful spirit of the event.
The Smurfs — known as Schtroumpfs in French — were created in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Peyo. Since then, the tiny blue characters have evolved into a global franchise, inspiring films, TV shows, theme parks, games, and merchandise.
Among the crowd was 82-year-old Simone Pronost, enjoying a beer in full Smurfette attire. “A friend encouraged me to join and I thought: ‘Why not?’” she said.
Albane Delariviere, a 20-year-old student, travelled more than 200 kilometres from Rennes to take part. “We thought it was a cool idea to help Landerneau out,” she explained.
Landerneau’s mayor, Patrick Leclerc, also suited up for the occasion. “It brings people together and gives them something else to think about than the times we’re living in,” he said.
Pascal Soun, head of the organising association, emphasized the importance of escapism. “It allows people to have fun and enter an imaginary world for a few hours,” he noted.
Favorable weather was a key factor in the record-breaking turnout. A previous attempt in 2023 was thwarted by heavy rain, while a 2020 effort — which had seemingly succeeded with more than 3,500 participants — was disqualified by Guinness World Records due to a missing document.
This time, encouragement came from film production company Paramount, which is preparing to release Smurfs, The Movie in July. The studio helped boost morale by offering to handle public relations for the event and providing 1,200 free tickets to a special preview of the upcoming film.
Thanks to a mix of persistence, community spirit, and a touch of Hollywood magic, Landerneau has finally secured its place in the record books — one blue face at a time.
