Whitby vampires break a world record
Published:
On 26th May 2022, English Heritage threw open their doors to a hoard of vampires in none other than Whitby Abbey. 1,369 vampires came together at 6pm in the abbey ruins for the official attempt at the Guinness World Record attempt to become the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Vampires.
With strict dress codes to adhere to, vampires were carefully assessed as they came onto the site to make sure they met the exacting standards for the world record. Vampires of all ages were welcomed and people from all over the world came to join the attempt, with some even flying in from California to join in the fun!
Official vampire dress code
Whitby town is no stranger to groups of people dressed to impress. The town hosts regular Steam Punk and Goth weekends where hundreds of people celebrate together. So, we knew participants for the world record would certainly step up to the vampire costume challenge.
For inclusion in the official attempt, people had to wear traditional vampire attire. This included black trousers, skirt or dress, black shoes, and a black waistcoat. This needed to be covered with a black cape or overcoat, and of course, fangs were a must.
The attempt
Vampires had to gather together in the same place for 5 minutes for the official attempt. Event organisers and participants then had to wait until 9pm for the announcement that they had broken the Guinness World Record!
1,369 vampires had come together to make this possible. They easily beat the existing record set in 2011 in Virginia, USA, of 1,039 vampires. Well done everyone!
Why vampires?
Whitby and vampires have a long history. 2022 marks the 125th anniversary of the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In novel, Dracula’s ship, The Demeter, crashes on our coastline, allowing Dracula to come to shore in the form of a large dog.
You can find out more about Bram Stoker, the novel and its connections to Whitby in our blog.
Did you take part in the official attempt? Tweet us your pictures from the day at @VisitWhitby.
Thank you to Photographer Richard Ponter and English Heritage for the use of these images.