Phaneroo Ministries, a renowned Christian organization in Uganda led by Grace Lubega Matovu, celebrated their ninth anniversary by bringing together hundreds of members to break the longest applause world record.
A total of 926 people gathered at the UMA Multipurpose Hall in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, for the event titled “Clap for Jesus”.
Known for their lively and high-spirited assemblies, Phaneroo created an atmosphere of excitement for this record-breaking attempt.
The congregation clapped continuously for an impressive duration of 3 hours and 16 minutes, maintaining an average sound level of 88.5 dB. To ensure the validity of the attempt, they had to remain above 80 dB throughout the entire duration.
This achievement surpassed the previous record of 2 hours and 5 minutes set in 2019 by Clark Stevens and The Festival of Awesomeness from the UK.
Each participant was required to clap non-stop, and any individual who stopped was promptly removed from the group by a steward.
Although bathroom breaks were not permitted, participants who felt thirsty received assistance from stewards who held bottles of water to their mouths, allowing them to sip while continuing to clap.
The record-breaking event was live-streamed and attracted a wide audience across Uganda, with many people clapping along to show their support.
“In a time where many individuals are facing struggles due to various life events, I wanted to bring people to a place of thanksgiving and celebration,” shared Grace Lubega.
“We aimed to send a powerful message to the world that, despite the challenges and difficulties, we must always make room for gratitude and thanksgiving. Our ultimate gratitude is to our Lord and Savior Jesus, in whom we believe.”
The record for the longest applause was initially established in 1991 by Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo, who received applause for 1 hour and 20 minutes, including 101 curtain calls, after his performance of Otello at the Vienna Staatsoper on July 30, 1991.
In 2002, German band Grabowsky broke the record when they received applause for 1 hour and 30 minutes after their performance. The band even returned to perform an encore of two songs after the applause subsided.
