Thousands Gather in Mexico City for Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ Tribute

Mexico City — Thousands of fans took over the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City on Saturday to pay tribute to Michael Jackson on what would have been his 68th birthday, filling the esplanade with choreography, costumes and music.

In the weeks leading up to the event, Jackson admirers rehearsed the choreography for his most iconic songs, especially “Thriller,” widely considered the most influential music video in global pop history. The call to participate spread quickly on social media, particularly TikTok, and the turnout exceeded expectations, with children, teenagers and adults arriving dressed as their idol.

Fans wore sequined white gloves, fedora hats, white socks and black shoes, dark sunglasses, shirts with shoulder pads and sequins, wide belts with metal buckles and ankle pants. The most common outfit was the red leather jacket from the “Thriller” video, designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis for the 1983 short film, which runs 13 minutes and 41 seconds on YouTube.

When the dance began, participants took over the center of the esplanade while spectators filmed the tribute on their phones, sharing the moment “to the sky.”

Mexico City’s Guinness Record

Saturday’s event recalled Mexico City’s lasting link to “Thriller”: the capital has held a Guinness World Record since Aug. 29, 2009, when 13,597 people performed the choreography on the same esplanade just two months after Jackson’s sudden death. The event was organized by the Youth Institute of what was then the Federal District for what would have been Jackson’s 51st birthday. An estimated 50,000 people attended, but only those who completed the entire routine were officially counted. Guinness World Records certified the record, cementing Mexico City as a global reference for Jackson fandom.

‘Michael’ Biopic Smashes Box Office Records

The biopic “Michael,” starring Jaafar Jackson, the King of Pop’s nephew, was released in 2026 and within days became the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, surpassing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The film has earned $932.2 million worldwide.

Since its release in April, the movie has drawn new generations of fans, boosted streaming numbers and inspired tributes such as Saturday’s “Thriller” dance in Mexico City.

‘Thriller’s Enduring Legacy

“Thriller” has received numerous honors: two Grammy Awards in 1984 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Music Video, while the album won Album of the Year. Guinness World Records recognizes the short film as the most successful music video of all time and the album as the best-selling record worldwide and in Mexico. In 2007, the video became the first music video added to the U.S. National Film Registry at the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. In Mexico, “Thriller” is Jackson’s best-selling single, with more than 1.7 million copies sold.