weekend. Landerneau, a town of 16,000 in Brittany’s far west, had twice previously attempted to claim the record from Lauchringen, a German town that brought together 2,762 Smurfs in 2019.

But last Saturday, the French enthusiasts finally broke through, assembling 3,076 people clad in blue outfits, faces painted, donning white hats and singing “smurfy songs”. The Smurfs – created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo in 1958 and known as “Schtroumpfs” in French – are tiny, human-like beings who live in the forest. The beloved characters have since become a global franchise, spawning films, television series, advertising, video games, theme parks and toys.

“A friend encouraged me to join and I thought: ‘Why not?'” said Simone Pronost, 82, dressed as a Smurfette. Albane Delariviere, a 20-year-old student, made the journey from Rennes, more than 200km (125 miles) away, to join the festivities. “We thought it was a cool idea to help Landerneau out,” she said.

Landerneau’s mayor, Patrick Leclerc, also in full Smurf attire, said the event “brings people together and gives them something else to think about than the times we’re living in”. Pascal Soun, head of the association behind the gathering, said the event “allows people to have fun and enter an imaginary world for a few hours”. Participants were relieved to have good weather, after last year’s attempt was hampered by heavy rain that deterred many from attending. (BBC/AFP)