Skating into history in Budapest: the ice party that broke a record in City Park
Imagine gliding under the lights of Vajdahunyad Castle, music pumping, cheeks frozen, and suddenly realizing you’re part of a record‑breaking human chain on ice. That was the vibe at this year’s Yettel Ice Party on the Városliget Ice Rink, where 695 skaters joined hands and turned a classic Budapest winter experience into a headline‑worthy stunt. For tourists, it’s a perfect snapshot of what the city does best: mix history, fun and a little bit of “did we seriously just do that?” energy.
A giant human chain on ice
The Városliget Ice Rink is already one of the most iconic winter spots in Budapest, with its huge frozen surface framed by the fairy‑tale silhouette of Vajdahunyad Castle. But this time, it wasn’t just about romantic laps around the rink. At the peak of the Yettel Ice Party, hundreds of people stepped onto the ice to create a connected, snaking line of skaters stretching for hundreds of metres.
In total, 695 people linked up, each person holding hands or touching the next skater, and moved together as one huge, wobbly, laughing wave. That number set a new Hungarian record in the “skating together” category and even topped the current Guinness benchmark of 395 people set in Canada. The catch? The Guinness team wasn’t officially there, so the Budapest feat will go down as a national record rather than a world one – but that doesn’t make it any less epic to be part of.
Budapest’s coolest winter party
The Yettel Ice Party has grown into one of the most popular winter events in the city, especially for locals who love a good community gathering that doesn’t involve sitting still. It’s organised around shared moments: skating in groups, dancing on the ice, snapping photos with the castle in the background, all while a DJ turns the rink into an open‑air dance floor.
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For travellers, it’s a dream chance to step straight into local life instead of just watching from the sidelines. Rent skates, bundle up, and within minutes you’re gliding alongside students, families, expats and colleagues, all laughing equally hard when someone’s balance fails them. Even if you’re more Bambi than professional skater, the atmosphere is forgiving – the point is to join in, not to be perfect.
Records, community and why it matters
What makes this record attempt more than just a fun fact is how it fits into Budapest’s growing culture of shared experiences. The organisers see the event as a way to celebrate connection – not only through fast mobile networks and tech, but very literally, arm‑in‑arm on the ice. It’s about proving that hundreds of strangers can move together for a few minutes and create something unique.
The 695‑strong chain also shows just how big these events have become: more than 1500 people attended the party overall, making it the largest Ice Party so far. Even if not everyone joined the chain, the whole crowd shared the build‑up, the countdown and the cheers when the attempt succeeded. If you visit Budapest in winter, this is exactly the kind of story you’ll want to tell later: “I went skating in City Park and accidentally helped break a record.”
Not quite Guinness – but pretty unforgettable
Even though the number of skaters beat the official Guinness world record, there was one tiny problem: no Guinness representative, no world title. So Budapest walks away with a certified Hungarian record and a strong “could‑have‑been” for the global one. Interestingly, even another Guinness figure – 523 people in Kazakhstan taking part in a group skating lesson – would be overtaken by the Budapest event if the paperwork and witnesses had lined up.
For most of the people on the ice, though, that’s a technicality. What they will remember is the feeling of standing packed into the chain, cold fingers locked with complete strangers, then slowly gliding forward with the whole rink moving as one. If you time your trip right, you can be part of the next attempt – and if not, the rink is still open all season, waiting for you to carve a few loops of your own into the ice.
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