Double the trouble, double the fun. Thousands of twins from around the globe turned the small town of Twinsburg, Ohio, into a real-life copy and paste party last weekend.
From August 1 to 3, Twinsburg hosted the Twins Days Festival, an annual spectacle that holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest gathering of twins in the world.
Think matching outfits, synchronised dancing, mirror selfies and the occasional twin prank that’ll make you question reality.
The organisers of the festival said when they started it almost 50 years ago they had 38 sets of twins in their second year and this year they had thousands.
According to 2021 research from Oxford University, the number of twins born worldwide has reached an all-time high with an estimated 1.6-million twins born each year.
The study revealed that over the past 40 years the global twinning rate has jumped by a third from nine to 12 births per 1,000, meaning one in every 42 babies born today is a twin.
The event draws up to 30,000 attendees and last year it pumped more than $5.4m (R95.6m) into the local economy.
On its website, festival organisers said the event started in 1976 as a small-town bicentennial celebration and has grown into a global phenomenon, with more than 84,000 sets of twins and multiples attending each year. Past visitors included international delegations and Soviet twins during the Cold War.
The organisers said each year the event adopted a playful theme. From 2024’s race car-inspired “Twindy 500” to 2023’s pirate-themed “Shiver Me Twinbers”, the creativity has been endless and so are the photo ops.
“The festival celebrates the uniqueness of twins and multiples but also puts Twinsburg on the map in the most unforgettable way.”
Beyond the laughs and lookalike contests, Twins Days is a hub for serious science and heartfelt community impact.
Researchers from around the world attend to study twins in fields ranging from genetics to behavioural psychology, while local charities raise funds through food booths, games and merchandise.
The nonprofit festival also gives back by offering scholarships, research grants and support for local schools and organisations.
With crowds multiplying, safety is a priority and rules have been implemented, including:
- no entry after 5pm for under-18s unless accompanied by a guardian (registered twins excluded);
- bag checks at all entrances;
- no pets, skateboards or scooters; and
- no drama — disorderly behaviour gets you the boot.
“We want the event to be safe, positive and fun, just the way twins like it,” said the organising committee.
TimesLIVE
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