Speakers' Corner, Public speaking area in Hyde Park, City of Westminster, United Kingdom
The corner lies in the northeastern part of the park, near Marble Arch, where groups gather around speakers standing on crates or low platforms. The space has no fixed boundaries but forms wherever people assemble to speak or listen.
The site became a gathering place for public meetings in the 19th century, after protests and rallies prompted authorities to designate a location for free speech. The 1872 act officially made it a protected space for speakers of all kinds.
Every Sunday, speakers from all walks of life step onto improvised platforms and address passersby who stop or move on as they please. This tradition of open speech attracts people who listen, argue back, or simply watch opinions being exchanged without filters.
The spot is accessible at any time, but most speakers appear on Sundays between late morning and late afternoon. The nearest Underground station is Marble Arch, from where you can reach the corner on foot in a few minutes.
A V2 rocket struck Speakers' Corner on 18 March 1945, killing three people. The German-language sources also record that speakers traditionally stood on a crate carried along, which gave rise to the term soapboxing; small stepladders are now replacing the crates.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,315 contributors worldwide.
