More than 1,000 Marilyn Monroe look-alikes gathered in downtown Palm Springs on Saturday to set a new Guinness World Record [1].
The event served as a centennial celebration for the Hollywood icon while raising funds for the nonprofit Greater Palm Springs Pride [2].
Organizers coordinated the mass gathering to honor what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday. While more than 1,100 people initially registered to dress as the actress [3], the final verified count for the record was 1,037 participants [4].
This gathering significantly surpassed the previous world record, which stood at 254 participants [5]. That prior record was set in Brighton, Australia, in 2020 [5].
The streets of downtown Palm Springs were filled with participants wearing the actress's signature style, including blonde wigs and white dresses, to mark the occasion [1]. The event combined a tribute to cinematic history with a fundraising drive for the local LGBTQ+ community [2].
Greater Palm Springs Pride managed the logistics of the assembly to ensure the gathering met the strict criteria required for a Guinness World Record certification [4].
“1,037 participants set a new Guinness World Record”
The scale of this event demonstrates the enduring global cultural impact of Marilyn Monroe a century after her birth. By linking a pop-culture milestone with a nonprofit fundraiser, Greater Palm Springs Pride leveraged a high-visibility spectacle to generate financial support and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community in California.
