Red Bull’s Soapbox Race Returns to London’s Alexandra Palace

Thousands of spectators gathered to watch the wacky homemade soapboxes

Red Bull’s Soapbox Race made its return to London’s Alexandra Palace, bringing with it a wave of creativity, speed, and showmanship. The event, which challenges teams to design and build their own soapboxes, drew in thousands of spectators who gathered to watch the gravity-defying contraptions hurtle down the 420m course.

“A lifetime of preparation” had gone into the race, and it felt “electric” to win. - The Hurry Houdinis, this year’s winners

This year’s soapbox designs were inspired by a range of pop culture icons, including Harry Potter, The Simpsons, and Taylor Swift. The Hurry Houdinis, a team from London, took home the top prize with their innovative design.

The Hurry Houdinis’ winning soapbox

Other teams didn’t fare as well, with soapboxes like Swifty Air, inspired by Taylor Swift, tumbling into the haybales. Despite the setbacks, the event was a resounding success, with teams like The Every Can Counts team, who designed a “recycling truck” soapbox called “Chitty Chitty Can Can”, taking home a third-place finish.

We were “ecstatic” with a third-placed finish, having placed 27th last time. - The Every Can Counts team

The team, who hoped to raise awareness of recycling with their vehicle, joked that their soapbox ended up reaching speeds of “just under 1,000 miles an hour”, creating a “sonic boom” on the course.

Red Bull has held over 100 soapbox races around the world since the original event in Brussels in 2000. The UK last hosted the event in 2022, which saw designs inspired by Colin the Caterpillar, James Bond, and Top Gun.

The event was a resounding success, with thousands of spectators in attendance

The Red Bull Soapbox Race is a testament to the power of creativity and innovation, and we can’t wait to see what next year’s event brings.