Hundreds of Bagpipers Set World Record With Cover of AC/DC’s ‘It’s Long Way to the Top’

Hundreds of bagpipers broke a world record this week when they assembled in Australia to perform AC/DC‘s “It’s a Long Way to the Top.”

The musicians gathered on Wednesday (Nov. 12) in Melbourne’s Federation Square, where thousands of fans watched as 374 bagpipers squeezed into the square and perform the rock and roll classic. The Australian Book of Records then confirmed with the Associated Press that they had indeed broken the world record for most people gathered to play the bagpipes. The oldest performer was 98-years-old. The previous record holder was 333 pipers in Bulgaria back in 2012.

The event was called “The Great Melbourne Bagpipe Bash,” and paid homage to a scene from the Australian hard rock band’s 1976 film where they blasted “It’s A Long Way To The Top” on a flatbed truck while traveling through traffic. The square is also right near Melbourne Cricket Ground, where AC/DC is scheduled to perform their first Australian show in over a decade later tonight.

The band recently added dozens of dates to their Power Up Tour heading into 2026. The new dates for the nearly two-year-old tour by the legendary rockers will kick off on Feb. 24 at Estádio do MorumBIS in São Paulo, Brazil and include stops in Santiago, Chile on March 11 and Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 23 before winding down on April 7 in Mexico City at Estadio GNP Seguros.

AC/DC will then take a break before heading out again on July 11 in Charlotte, N.C. in Columbus, Ohio, Madison, Wi., San Antonio, Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Edmonton, Alberta, Vancouver, Atlanta, Houston, South Bend, Ind., St. Louis, Montreal, Toronto and East Rutherford, N.J. before winding down on Sept. 29 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Check out a video report on the record-setting piping below.