Calvin Harris sets Guinness record with 1.6M-person DJ set

Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris has set a Guinness World Records record milestone after an estimated 1.6 million people attended his DJ set in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the organization confirmed Monday.

Harris performed on a carnival float during a free pre-Carnival street event in Sao Paulo on Feb. 8, drawing the largest audience recorded for a DJ set by a single artist, according to Guinness World Records.

The 42-year-old performer played on Rua da Consolacao, near Avenida Paulista, one of the city's main thoroughfares, as the crowd sang and danced to some of his best-known tracks, including We Found Love, One Kiss, I Need Your Love and This Is What You Came For.

The scale of the event led to the closure of Rua da Consolacao amid overcrowding, while some attendees reportedly fainted as temperatures reached 27 degrees Celsius.

Harris, whose real name is Adam Wiles, wore a Brazil soccer jersey with "Calvinho" and the number 00 on the back during the performance.

The 1.6 million attendance figure is also comparable to the estimated crowd at US singer Madonna's free concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach in May 2024, which Guinness cited as another example of the scale of Brazil's large free music events.

The Guinness record specifically covers the largest attendance for a DJ set by a single artist, distinguishing it from records for concerts or other types of live performances.