Soapbox Race
Red Bull Soapbox Race Belfast is imminent – here's all you need to know
Since 2022 Cork and Belfast have played host to the world's most thrilling soapbox race. Ahead of the fifth edition on Irish shores, here's why you'd be a fool to miss it this time around...
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Assemble your Avengers. Manhandle your minions. Dust off that Dune costume. It’s time to put the finishing touches to your hand-crafted contraption and outfits, because Red Bull Soapbox Race is coming to Belfast on 17 May.
A decade after it last graced Irish shores, and now set to complete the hat-trick in Belfast (2002, 2008 and 2026), the world’s premier downhill soapbox race is storming the Stormont Estate, where 40 plucky teams will unleash their soapbox racers on a purpose built course loaded with thrills, spills and plenty of cosplay.
Oscar the Grouch takes a tumble at Cork's 2016 Red Bull Soapbox Race
© Sebastian Marko / Red Bull Content Pool
Whether you’re already signed up and fancy some last-minute inspiration, or just want to swot up before watching it live, here’s everything you need to know about the iconic race...
01
The Legacy of Soapbox Cork
First, though, let’s rewind to Red Bull Soapbox’s origins in this part of the world. The series made its Island of Ireland debut at Belfast's Barnett’s Demesne in 2002, but only truly captured everyone's attention at its second edition in Cork when teams went hurtling down St. Patrick’s Hill – arguably the steepest street in Red Bull Soapbox history.
St. Patrick’s Hill would take centre stage again in 2016, drawing thousands of spectators and even more spectacular crashes. Pit crews and fans alike watched through splayed fingers as drivers failed to adapt to the hill’s brutal gradient, the blistering speeds shredding nerves and soapbox material in equal measure.
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Red Bull Soapbox Race Cork - Best Crashes
Red Bull Soapbox Race Cork - Best Crashes
Those car designs and costumes, many of them plugging into pop culture-soaked nostalgia, typified the very best of Irish humour. Oscar the Grouch (AKA Trashanator 5000) could be seen racing in a rubbish bin, while Slimer struggled to keep the Ectomobile upright. Both drivers had their races cut short by bales of hay (see the video above) but they did win the respect of the crowd.
There was certainly no egg on the faces of Jumbo Breakfast Roll though. They were the team who served up the quickest run of all (37 seconds) inside a giant breakfast sandwich to land the title at Cork's 2016 race.
Which begs the question: will there be a Belfast Bap when Red Bull Soapbox race returns to Belfast on 17 May?
02
The Belfast Build-Up
Belfast’s iconic Stormont Estate has hosted a Red Bull Soapbox Race once before, in 2008, when more than 30,000 spectators lined the course to watch the carnage. Records fell, too: a team of Queen’s University Belfast engineering students was clocked going at 45mph by a PSNI traffic officer positioned near the track.
Red Bull Soapbox Race Belfast
© Red Bull
First time entrants in 2026 will get a taste of the magic before they even roll onto the start ramp. A friendly paddock atmosphere awaits, giving teams a chance to see how their competitors and for them to connect with a wider community. That’s the beauty of Red Bull Soapbox Race — sure, speed and glory await, but when you can show off your handiwork (before you possibly smash it to bits) and meet similar minds, it's a day that will live long in the memory.
03
How is it scored?
A panel of experts will score all Red Bull Soapbox Race teams in three areas: creativity, showmanship and speed.
At 2008's Stormont Red Bull Soapbox Race, the winning team, Ruddell Metals, paid homage to the sleek Mercedes Silver Arrow once driven by Formula One legend Juan Manuel Fangio in the mid-fifties. They captured the hearts and minds of judges with a faultless run and immaculate DIY engineering. It wasn’t just a love letter to a bygone era; beneath the polished bodywork was a cleverly built soapbox, capable of handling a steep track while giving the driver nimble, tightly controlled steering.
Red Bull Soapbox Races are scored by an expert Jury
© Luis Vidales
The expert panel that day included former MotoGP racer Jeremy McWilliams, and scored every team on those same pillars: creativity, showmanship and speed. If you’re lining up in 2026, remember it’s not just about velocity, it’s about theatre. Even when you’re giving your teammate that final shove, make sure you sell it.
04
Engineering & Creativity
What came first: the chicken or the egg? Well, technically speaking – given that more chickens have crossed the finish line than eggs in Red Bull Soapbox races – that’s now obvious.
On a similar note, you may be wondering whether the majority of teams first come up with their theme (the costumes, team name, motif) or the early soapbox build. That will usually depend on material, experience, creativity and time. Much like tackling the course itself, there is no one method to creating a winning team on all fronts.
Red Bull Soapbox Race Cork 2016
© INPHO
Simply having a fast car isn’t enough; you need a theme that shows imagination and verve. On the flip side, spend all your time on your sequins and you might be driving straight into the first hay bale you see.
Indeed, finding the sweet spot between spectacle and speed will be crucial for every team at Red Bull Soapbox Race Belfast 2026. There’ll be no shortage of madcap invention: foam, plywood, broken lawnmowers, old bathtubs and other unlikely relics can all become the backbone of a build, though true roadworthiness is often only revealed when drivers are hurtling downhill with spectators fast becoming a blur.
Red Bull Soapbox UK 2019 winnners Gas Gas Gas
© Red Bull
Few people understand that knife edge better than Nick Hunter, captain of 2019 UK champions Gas Gas Gas. After a big crash wrecked his team’s plans two years before, they went back to the drawing board and spent the intervening period tweaking their design until they had a ruthlessly upgraded soapbox ready to tame the track.
Here are three of the most important build tips Nick has for other teams:
- Have a solid chassis: “The easiest option is to use something from an old existing vehicle — I’ve seen teams build soapbox cars with something they’ve picked up in a reclamation yard, like a sit-on lawnmower, where they’ve stripped everything off except for the base and the wheels and built on top of that. Trailers also work.”
- Don't forget the brakes: "Before the build, you're provided with a set of regulations. One of which is that the brakes must work on a minimum of two wheels. You can build it as basic as rigging up a pulley system where you yank a piece of rope which presses down two bits of wood on top of the wheels.”
- Steer clear of imbalances: "For 2019's car we bought a go-kart steering column on eBay and used that as our steering arrangement. With a bit of spare metal, we then made rods which we attached from the steering bracket to our wheels. It’s tricky to get the steering right on a build — you don’t want too much sensitivity but at speed you still want good control.”
05
Safety & Rules
Ok, Poindexter: you might have the perfect soapbox in mind, but, as per the official rules: ‘It must not exceed a maximum of 2 metres wide, and 3.5 metres long, be at least 10 centimetres from the ground and no taller than 2.5 metres. It must not exceed 80kg in weight (excluding the driver, of course).’ All good? Okay, let's move on.
It’s tricky to get the steering right on a build — you don’t want too much sensitivity but at speed you still want good control.
Secondly, the only energy your soapbox can run on is gravity. No motors, no engines or other external energy sources. Just that all-important push given by your pit crew (no more than four people) at the start line.
Thirdly, always wear a helmet and be sure to acquaint yourself with more of the safety protocols on the official hub for Belfast Red Bull Soapbox Race 2026 here.
06
What to expect in Belfast
As Belfast landmarks go, it's hard to beat the Stormont Estate for drama and grandeur. What makes it such a first-class location for Red Bull Soapbox Racing though is the elevated terrain and big dipping avenue, which is good news for fans, but probably less so for competitors.
Forget what you've seen on TV or in the clips above. No amount of slow-mo replays truly capture how fast the soapboxes hurtle down these fiendishly designed tracks. If you go down to see it for yourself at Stormont on 17 May you'll come away with a newfound respect for these brave drivers.
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