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List of largest funerals

Updated: 5/20/2026, 8:03:50 PM Wikipedia source

This list of notable funerals represents significant historical funerals, based on both the number of attendants and estimated television audience.

Tables

C. N. Annadurai
C. N. Annadurai
Funeral
C. N. Annadurai
Date
February 4, 1969
Country
India
City
Madras
No. of attendees
~15,000,000
Qasem Soleimani
Qasem Soleimani
Funeral
Qasem Soleimani
Date
January 5, 2020
Country
Iran
City
Ahvaz and Mashhad
No. of attendees
~7,000,000
January 6, 2020
January 6, 2020
Funeral
January 6, 2020
Date
Tehran and Qom
January 7, 2020
January 7, 2020
Funeral
January 7, 2020
Date
Kerman
Dahiru Usman Bauchi
Dahiru Usman Bauchi
Funeral
Dahiru Usman Bauchi
Date
November 28, 2025
Country
Nigeria
City
Bauchi
No. of attendees
~4,000,000
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Funeral
Pope John Paul II
Date
April 8, 2005
Country
Vatican City
City
Rome
No. of attendees
~4,000,000
Television audience
2,000,000,000
Umm Kulthum
Umm Kulthum
Funeral
Umm Kulthum
Date
February 5, 1975
Country
Egypt
City
Cairo
No. of attendees
~4,000,000
Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Funeral
Indira Gandhi
Date
November 3, 1984
Country
India
City
Delhi
No. of attendees
~3,500,000
M . Ramachandran
M . Ramachandran
Funeral
M . Ramachandran
Date
December 25, 1987
Country
India
City
Madras
No. of attendees
~3,500,000
Puneeth Rajkumar
Puneeth Rajkumar
Funeral
Puneeth Rajkumar
Date
October 29, 2021
Country
India
City
Bengaluru
No. of attendees
~3,500,000
Television audience
50,000,000
Eva Perón
Eva Perón
Funeral
Eva Perón
Date
August 9, 1952
Country
Argentina
City
Buenos Aires
No. of attendees
~3,000,000
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Funeral
Ayrton Senna
Date
May 5, 1994
Country
Brazil
City
São Paulo
No. of attendees
~3,000,000
Television audience
(in Brazil) at least 100,000,000
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Funeral
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Date
October 1, 1970
Country
United Arab Republic
City
Cairo
No. of attendees
~3,000,000
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Funeral
Chiang Kai-shek
Date
April 10–16, 1975
Country
Taiwan
City
Taipei
No. of attendees
~2,500,000
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Funeral
Ruhollah Khomeini
Date
June 5–6, 1989
Country
Iran
City
Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini, Tehran
No. of attendees
~2,000,000−10,200,000
Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Funeral
Victor Hugo
Date
June 1, 1885
Country
France
City
Paris
No. of attendees
~2,000,000−3,000,000
Benigno Aquino Jr.
Benigno Aquino Jr.
Funeral
Benigno Aquino Jr.
Date
August 31, 1983
Country
Philippines
City
Santo Domingo Church and Manila Memorial Park – Sucat, Metro Manila
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Berkin Elvan
Berkin Elvan
Funeral
Berkin Elvan
Date
March 12, 2014
Country
Turkey
City
Istanbul
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Houari Boumédiène
Houari Boumédiène
Funeral
Houari Boumédiène
Date
December 29, 1978
Country
Algeria
City
Algiers
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
J. Jayalalithaa
J. Jayalalithaa
Funeral
J. Jayalalithaa
Date
December 6, 2016
Country
India
City
Chennai
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Funeral
Kim Il-sung
Date
July 19, 1994
Country
North Korea
City
Pyongyang
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Funeral
Mahatma Gandhi
Date
February 6, 1948
Country
India
City
New Delhi
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Funeral
Park Chung-hee
Date
November 3, 1979
Country
South Korea
City
Seoul
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman
Funeral
Ziaur Rahman
Date
June 2, 1981
Country
Bangladesh
City
Dhaka
No. of attendees
~2,000,000
Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia
Funeral
Khaleda Zia
Date
December 30, 2025
Country
Bangladesh
City
Dhaka
No. of attendees
~1,600,000−3,200,000
Bal Thackeray
Bal Thackeray
Funeral
Bal Thackeray
Date
November 18–19, 2012
Country
India
City
Shivaji Park, Mumbai
No. of attendees
~1,500,000−2,500,000
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Funeral
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Date
November 18, 1852
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
No. of attendees
~1,500,000
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Funeral
Jawaharlal Nehru
Date
May 28, 1964
Country
India
City
New Delhi
No. of attendees
~1,500,000
Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah
Funeral
Hassan Nasrallah
Date
February 23, 2025
Country
Lebanon
City
Camille Chamoun, Beirut
No. of attendees
~1,300,000−1,700,000
Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Funeral
Juan Perón
Date
July 2–4, 1974
Country
Argentina
City
Buenos Aires
No. of attendees
~1,135,000
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Funeral
Hugo Chávez
Date
March 6–8, 2013
Country
Venezuela
City
Caracas
No. of attendees
~1,000 −3,000,000
Akhtar Raza Khan
Akhtar Raza Khan
Funeral
Akhtar Raza Khan
Date
July 20, 2018
Country
India
City
Bareilly
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Television audience
12,500,000
Enrico Berlinguer
Enrico Berlinguer
Funeral
Enrico Berlinguer
Date
June 13, 1984
Country
Italy
City
Rome
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
GP Koirala
GP Koirala
Funeral
GP Koirala
Date
March 20, 2010
Country
Nepal
City
Kathmandu
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova
Funeral
Ibrahim Rugova
Date
January 27, 2006
Country
Kosovo
City
Prishtina
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday
Funeral
Johnny Hallyday
Date
December 9, 2017
Country
France
City
Paris
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Television audience
15,000,000
M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Funeral
M. Karunanidhi
Date
August 8, 2018
Country
India
City
Chennai
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Funeral
Mother Teresa
Date
September 13, 1997
Country
India
City
Calcutta
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Television audience
at least 1,000,000
Muhammad Zia Ul Haq
Muhammad Zia Ul Haq
Funeral
Muhammad Zia Ul Haq
Date
August 19, 1988
Country
Pakistan
City
Islamabad
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Pope Shenouda III
Pope Shenouda III
Funeral
Pope Shenouda III
Date
March 20, 2012
Country
Egypt
City
Cairo
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Funeral
Diana, Princess of Wales
Date
September 6, 1997
Country
United Kingdom
City
London and Althorp, Northamptonshire
No. of attendees
~1,000,000 (2,000 at funeral service)
Television audience
2,500,000,000
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II
Funeral
Queen Elizabeth II
Date
September 19, 2022
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
No. of attendees
~1,000,000 (2,000 at funeral service)
Television audience
29,000,000 in the UK
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Funeral
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Date
April 9, 2002
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Funeral
Mao Zedong
Date
September 9–18, 1976
Country
China
City
Beijing
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Nelson Mandela (memorial service)
Nelson Mandela (memorial service)
Funeral
Nelson Mandela (memorial service)
Date
December 10–15, 2013
Country
South Africa
City
Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Qunu
No. of attendees
~1,000,000 1,000 for Memorial Service
Võ Nguyên Giáp
Võ Nguyên Giáp
Funeral
Võ Nguyên Giáp
Date
October 12–13, 2013
Country
Vietnam
City
Hanoi
No. of attendees
~1,000,000
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef
Funeral
Ovadia Yosef
Date
October 7, 2013
Country
Israel
City
Jerusalem
No. of attendees
~850,000
King Hussein of Jordan
King Hussein of Jordan
Funeral
King Hussein of Jordan
Date
February 8, 1999
Country
Jordan
City
Amman
No. of attendees
~800,000
Pierre Gemayel
Pierre Gemayel
Funeral
Pierre Gemayel
Date
November 23, 2006
Country
Lebanon
City
Beirut
No. of attendees
~800,000
Mir Osman Ali Khan
Mir Osman Ali Khan
Funeral
Mir Osman Ali Khan
Date
February 25, 1967
Country
India
City
Hyderabad
No. of attendees
~800,000
Chaim Kanievsky
Chaim Kanievsky
Funeral
Chaim Kanievsky
Date
March 20, 2022
Country
Israel
City
Bnei Brak
No. of attendees
~750,000
Zubeen Garg
Zubeen Garg
Funeral
Zubeen Garg
Date
September 21–22, 2025
Country
India
City
Guwahati
No. of attendees
~700,000–1,500,000
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Funeral
Josip Broz Tito
Date
May 8, 1980
Country
Yugoslavia
City
Belgrade
No. of attendees
~700,000
Pedro Aguirre Cerda
Pedro Aguirre Cerda
Funeral
Pedro Aguirre Cerda
Date
November 28, 1941
Country
Chile
City
Santiago
No. of attendees
~700,000
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Funeral
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Date
November 11, 1938
Country
Turkey
City
Ankara
No. of attendees
~600,000−750,000
Jerzy Popiełuszko
Jerzy Popiełuszko
Funeral
Jerzy Popiełuszko
Date
November 3, 1984
Country
Polish People's Republic
City
Warsaw
No. of attendees
~600,000−1,000,000
Carter Harrison III
Carter Harrison III
Funeral
Carter Harrison III
Date
October 31–November 1, 1893
Country
United States
City
Chicago
No. of attendees
~500,000–1,060,000 (funeral procession) ~100,000 (public visitation of open casket)
Television audience
—N/a
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
Funeral
John F. Kennedy
Date
November 25, 1963
Country
United States
City
Washington, D .
No. of attendees
~550,000
Television audience
41,500,000
Georgi Asparuhov
Georgi Asparuhov
Funeral
Georgi Asparuhov
Date
June 30–July 2, 1971
Country
Bulgaria
City
Sofia
No. of attendees
~550,000
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Funeral
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Date
September 21, 1937
Country
Czechoslovakia
City
Prague
No. of attendees
~500,000−750,000
Juan Gabriel
Juan Gabriel
Funeral
Juan Gabriel
Date
September 4–5, 2016
Country
Mexico
City
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua and Mexico City
No. of attendees
~500,000−1,000,000
August Spies, George Engel, Adolph Fischer, and Albert Parsons (executed Haymarket Affair defendants)
August Spies, George Engel, Adolph Fischer, and Albert Parsons (executed Haymarket Affair defendants)
Funeral
August Spies, George Engel, Adolph Fischer, and Albert Parsons (executed Haymarket Affair defendants)
Date
November 13, 1887
Country
United States
City
Chicago
No. of attendees
~500,000
Television audience
—N/a
Baruch Charney Vladeck
Baruch Charney Vladeck
Funeral
Baruch Charney Vladeck
Date
November 2, 1938
Country
United States
City
New York City
No. of attendees
~500,000-750,000
BP Koirala
BP Koirala
Funeral
BP Koirala
Date
July 21, 1982
Country
Nepal
City
Kathmandu
No. of attendees
~500,000
B. R. Ambedkar
B. R. Ambedkar
Funeral
B. R. Ambedkar
Date
December 6, 1956
Country
India
City
Mumbai
No. of attendees
~500,000
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda
Funeral
Carmen Miranda
Date
August 12, 1955
Country
Brazil
City
Rio de Janeiro
No. of attendees
~500,000
Buenaventura Durruti
Buenaventura Durruti
Funeral
Buenaventura Durruti
Date
November 23, 1936
Country
Spain
City
Barcelona
No. of attendees
~500,000
Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss
Funeral
Engelbert Dollfuss
Date
July 30, 1934
Country
Austria
City
Vienna
No. of attendees
~500,000
Michael Collins
Michael Collins
Funeral
Michael Collins
Date
August 28, 1922
Country
Ireland
City
Dublin
No. of attendees
~500,000
Television audience
—N/a
Patriarchh Pavle
Patriarchh Pavle
Funeral
Patriarchh Pavle
Date
November 19, 2009
Country
Serbia
City
Rakovica Monastery, Belgrade
No. of attendees
~500,000
Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Funeral
Sathya Sai Baba
Date
April 24, 2011
Country
India
City
Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh
No. of attendees
~500,000
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Funeral
Winston Churchill
Date
January 30, 1965
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
No. of attendees
~500,000 (6,000 at funeral service)
Television audience
6,000
Osman Hadi
Osman Hadi
Funeral
Osman Hadi
Date
December 20, 2025
Country
Bangladesh
City
Dhaka
No. of attendees
~500,000−1,000,000
Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan
Funeral
Necmettin Erbakan
Date
March 1, 2011
Country
Turkey
City
Istanbul
No. of attendees
~400,000−2,000,000
Pope Francis
Pope Francis
Funeral
Pope Francis
Date
April 21–26, 2025
Country
Vatican City
City
Rome
No. of attendees
~400,000
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Funeral
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Date
January 9–11, 2017
Country
Iran
City
Tehran
No. of attendees
~330,000−2,500,000
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Funeral
Francisco Franco
Date
November 22–23, 1975
Country
Spain
City
Madrid
No. of attendees
~300,000−500,000
Fernando Poe Jr.
Fernando Poe Jr.
Funeral
Fernando Poe Jr.
Date
December 22, 2004
Country
Philippines
City
Santo Domingo Church and Manila North Cemetery, Metro Manila
No. of attendees
~300,000
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Funeral
Giuseppe Verdi
Date
February 27, 1901
Country
Italy
City
Milan
No. of attendees
~300,000
Funeral
Date
Country
City
No. of attendees
Television audience
C. N. Annadurai
February 4, 1969
India
Madras
~15,000,000
Qasem Soleimani
January 5, 2020
Iran
Ahvaz and Mashhad
~7,000,000
January 6, 2020
Tehran and Qom
January 7, 2020
Kerman
Dahiru Usman Bauchi
November 28, 2025
Nigeria
Bauchi
~4,000,000
Pope John Paul II
April 8, 2005
Vatican City
Rome
~4,000,000
2,000,000,000
Umm Kulthum
February 5, 1975
Egypt
Cairo
~4,000,000
Indira Gandhi
November 3, 1984
India
Delhi
~3,500,000
M . Ramachandran
December 25, 1987
India
Madras
~3,500,000
Puneeth Rajkumar
October 29, 2021
India
Bengaluru
~3,500,000
50,000,000
Eva Perón
August 9, 1952
Argentina
Buenos Aires
~3,000,000
Ayrton Senna
May 5, 1994
Brazil
São Paulo
~3,000,000
(in Brazil) at least 100,000,000
Gamal Abdel Nasser
October 1, 1970
United Arab Republic
Cairo
~3,000,000
Chiang Kai-shek
April 10–16, 1975
Taiwan
Taipei
~2,500,000
Ruhollah Khomeini
June 5–6, 1989
Iran
Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini, Tehran
~2,000,000−10,200,000
Victor Hugo
June 1, 1885
France
Paris
~2,000,000−3,000,000
Benigno Aquino Jr.
August 31, 1983
Philippines
Santo Domingo Church and Manila Memorial Park – Sucat, Metro Manila
~2,000,000
Berkin Elvan
March 12, 2014
Turkey
Istanbul
~2,000,000
Houari Boumédiène
December 29, 1978
Algeria
Algiers
~2,000,000
J. Jayalalithaa
December 6, 2016
India
Chennai
~2,000,000
Kim Il-sung
July 19, 1994
North Korea
Pyongyang
~2,000,000
Mahatma Gandhi
February 6, 1948
India
New Delhi
~2,000,000
Park Chung-hee
November 3, 1979
South Korea
Seoul
~2,000,000
Ziaur Rahman
June 2, 1981
Bangladesh
Dhaka
~2,000,000
Khaleda Zia
December 30, 2025
Bangladesh
Dhaka
~1,600,000−3,200,000
Bal Thackeray
November 18–19, 2012
India
Shivaji Park, Mumbai
~1,500,000−2,500,000
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
November 18, 1852
United Kingdom
London
~1,500,000
Jawaharlal Nehru
May 28, 1964
India
New Delhi
~1,500,000
Hassan Nasrallah
February 23, 2025
Lebanon
Camille Chamoun, Beirut
~1,300,000−1,700,000
Juan Perón
July 2–4, 1974
Argentina
Buenos Aires
~1,135,000
Hugo Chávez
March 6–8, 2013
Venezuela
Caracas
~1,000 −3,000,000
Akhtar Raza Khan
July 20, 2018
India
Bareilly
~1,000,000
12,500,000
Enrico Berlinguer
June 13, 1984
Italy
Rome
~1,000,000
GP Koirala
March 20, 2010
Nepal
Kathmandu
~1,000,000
Ibrahim Rugova
January 27, 2006
Kosovo
Prishtina
~1,000,000
Johnny Hallyday
December 9, 2017
France
Paris
~1,000,000
15,000,000
M. Karunanidhi
August 8, 2018
India
Chennai
~1,000,000
Mother Teresa
September 13, 1997
India
Calcutta
~1,000,000
at least 1,000,000
Muhammad Zia Ul Haq
August 19, 1988
Pakistan
Islamabad
~1,000,000
Pope Shenouda III
March 20, 2012
Egypt
Cairo
~1,000,000
Diana, Princess of Wales
September 6, 1997
United Kingdom
London and Althorp, Northamptonshire
~1,000,000 (2,000 at funeral service)
2,500,000,000
Queen Elizabeth II
September 19, 2022
United Kingdom
London
~1,000,000 (2,000 at funeral service)
29,000,000 in the UK
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
April 9, 2002
United Kingdom
London
~1,000,000
Mao Zedong
September 9–18, 1976
China
Beijing
~1,000,000
Nelson Mandela (memorial service)
December 10–15, 2013
South Africa
Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Qunu
~1,000,000 1,000 for Memorial Service
Võ Nguyên Giáp
October 12–13, 2013
Vietnam
Hanoi
~1,000,000
Ovadia Yosef
October 7, 2013
Israel
Jerusalem
~850,000
King Hussein of Jordan
February 8, 1999
Jordan
Amman
~800,000
Pierre Gemayel
November 23, 2006
Lebanon
Beirut
~800,000

References

  1. Guinness World Records
    https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/65207-largest-funerals
  2. Grunge
    https://www.grunge.com/404896/the-biggest-funerals-in-history/
  3. dtNext
    https://www.dtnext.in/news/city/a-funeral-that-entered-guinness-world-records
  4. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-25310508
  5. www
    https://www.ibtimes.co.in/karunanidhi-burial-which-were-largest-funerals-india-world-777287
  6. HISTORY
    https://www.history.com/news/which-famous-figure-had-the-biggest-public-funeral
  7. www
    https://www.hutchisonfuneralhome.com/a-look-at-history-s-most-expensive-and-well-attended-funerals-across-the-world
  8. Kerman pays homage to Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani retrieved 6 Feb 2023
    https://en.imna.ir/photo/404717/Kerman-pays-homage-to-Lieutenant-General-Qassem-Soleimani
  9. The Times of Israel
    https://www.timesofisrael.com/million-man-soleimani-funeral-procession-said-to-be-largest-since-khomeini/
  10. Daily Nigerian
    https://dailynigerian.com/millions-of-mourners-storm-bauchi-for-sheikh-dahirus-funeral/
  11. "Millions mourn Pope at history's largest funeral"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20081201121502/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/millions-mourn-pope-at-historys-largest-funeral-757246.html
  12. BBC News
    https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4428149.stm
  13. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/06/nelson-mandela-funeral-leaders/3892789/
  14. The Economist
    https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/01/daily-chart-9
  15. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/06/archives/egyptians-throng-funeral-of-um-kalthoum-the-arabs-acclaimed-singer.html
  16. Britannica
    https://www.britannica.com/biography/Umm-Kulthum-Egyptian-musician
  17. International Business Times
    https://www.ibtimes.co.in/karunanidhi-burial-which-were-largest-funerals-india-world-777287
  18. News18
    https://www.news18.com/news/movies/wouldve-been-better-if-i-had-died-instead-of-puneeth-veteran-actor-sarath-kumar-4454219.html
  19. IndiaGlitz
    https://www.indiaglitz.com/puneet-rajkumar-picture-with-his-father-rajkumar-karan-acharya-paintings-puneet-rajkumar-death-tamil-news-300570
  20. Lokmat Times
    https://www.lokmattimes.com/entertainment/rajinikanth-pays-emotional-tribute-to-puneeth-rajkumar-a475/
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