Screech, please! Europe’s hosts seagull showdown

In a seaside town in Belgium, the loudest thing this weekend wasn’t the waves – it was a room full of humans aggressively impersonating seagulls. The European Seagull Screeching Championship in De Panne saw over 70 participants from 15 countries competing to sound like the ultimate fry-snatching menace.

Turning a pub into a full-blown bird call arena

Held inside a local pub, the contest saw contestants of all ages—many dressed in full seagull-themed outfits—step up and unleash their best coastal chaos. Each performance was met with cheers, proving that nothing unites people quite like committed nonsense. Judging was serious: up to 15 points for accuracy and five for performance. Surprisingly, this wasn’t new. The sixth edition proves the world’s appetite for avian roleplay is strangely unstoppable. While some see a nuisance, Belgium hears a symphony.

Rebranding the seagull, one screech at a time

Beyond the noise and novelty, the event has a surprisingly wholesome goal: fixing the image of seagulls, often branded as seaside troublemakers. Organisers hope that by celebrating their iconic calls, people might start appreciating them a little more. “When you are on holiday, you always remember the waves of the sea and the calls of the seagulls,” said organiser Claude Willaert, as reported by Reuters. “So be positive about them.”