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LEGO CON 2022 – Replay, Set Reveals & More!

by on June 18, 2022
in Other News & Updates

As we discussed earlier, the LEGO Group launched its 90th-anniversary summer celebrations with LEGO CON. Bursting with product and brand reveals, magical sessions, activities, and extra special guests that took fans behind the scenes. Details below.

The LEGO Group put on the show of all shows as it once again wowed fans with the virtual and free-to-attend LEGO CON. Designed specifically for brick-loving families, the two-hour live show, hosted by Vick Hope, Joel McHale, and Melvin Odoom, was bursting with entertainment. It gave LEGO aficionados a sneak peek into the latest LEGO news and products whilst connecting them with other LEGO enthusiasts from around the world.

Wrapped in an extra-special LEGO brand 90th celebration, the abundance of sessions at this year’s event truly challenged fans to think big as it included everything from the magical to the fantastical and even the super-powered.

CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF PLAY

In its session on ’90 years of play’, the LEGO Group kicked off its summer of 90th-anniversary celebrations. The session saw the launch of two unique heritage products in honor of the big occasion, each designed to evoke nostalgia.

Taking center stage was the #10305 LEGO Lion Knights’ Castle that comes complete with a working drawbridge and portcullis, hidden passageways, dungeon escape routes, and spinning waterwheels. It’s the build adult LEGO fans have been waiting for. A classic – reimagined. Celebrating 90 years of LEGO history, the Lion Knights’ Castle is a new interpretation of the iconic LEGO Castle theme. The impressive set is packed with details, and with 4,514 pieces it offers a project to savor. The set will launch on August 3rd with the following prices:  $399.99 / £344.99 / €399.99. For more information, visit the Online LEGO Shop.

The other nostalgic set revealed is the #10497 LEGO Galaxy Explorer with 1,254 pieces that will launch on August 1st. This special anniversary edition of the #497 LEGO Classic Space Galaxy Explorer retains all the features of the 1979 set but on a bigger scale. With 4 astronaut figures and accessories, there are lots to explore in this tribute to a LEGO fan classic. Prices are as follows: $99.99 / £89.99/ €99.99. For more information visit the Online LEGO Shop.

As well as its new anniversary products, the company revealed ‘Make the World a Playground’, a summer-long campaign for its 90th anniversary, where kids and AFOLs alike are invited to unleash their imagination and use their creativity to add even more play to our world.

AWESOME NEW PRODUCTS

Among the new products revealed, fans were treated to an exclusive look at the brand-new LEGO Avatar product range celebrating the overall franchise to date in advance of Avatar: The Way of Water premiering this December. The newly-revealed #75574 LEGO Avatar Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls set lets fans recreate the moment from the first film when Jake, as Toruk Makto, rallies the Omatikaya Clan to defend not only one of their most sacred sites, the Tree of Souls, but all of Pandora. The set will launch on October 1st with the following prices 149.99 EUR/USD. For more information, visit the Online LEGO Shop.

The company also announced several exciting updates to its already beloved lines. Another big reveal saw viewers given an exclusive first look at the brand new, truly out-of-this-world sets coming to fan-favorite, LEGO Star Wars. The sets, the #75323 LEGO Star Wars The Justifier and the #75337 LEGO Star Wars AT-TE Walker will offer fans the chance to recreate the epic Star Wars: The Bad Batch stories with the incredible model of bounty hunter Cad Bane’s starship, The Justifier, or power into battle against the Separatist Droid Army with the AT-TE. Both sets will be available on August 1st at the LEGO Star Wars section of the Online LEGO Shop.

Fans of LEGO Marvel, meanwhile, were treated to a first look at a new Doctor Strange set showcasing the #76218 LEGO Marvel Sanctum Sanctorum as featured in a number of films, giving them a chance to open up their very own multiverses. This 2,708-piece recreation of the Sanctum Sanctorum, the notorious residence of Doctor Strange, incorporates classic scenes from Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The top story houses the museum of mystical collections, the middle section contains the library and at ground level, there are familiar features both inside and out. This set will be released on August 1st with the following prices: 249.99 EUR/USD. Visit the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes section of the Online LEGO Shop.

LEGO Minecraft builders were spoilt with two brand new sets to add to their collection; the #21189 LEGO Minecraft The Abandoned Village and the #21190 LEGO Minecraft The Skeleton Dungeon. For more information visit the LEGO Minecraft section of the Online LEGO Shop.

Lovers of LEGO Super Mario weren’t left out either! They were given a glimpse of the brand-new #71410 LEGO Super Mario Character Pack Series 5 that will be introduced to the LEGO Super Mario universe, with fun characters including Nabbit, a Purple Toad, Hammer Bro, Waddlewing, Toady, Baby Yoshi, Red Yoshi, and Blue Shy Guy. They were also shown how new and existing characters alike can interact with the LEGO Mario, LEGO Luigi, and LEGO Peach Starter Courses. For more information visit the LEGO Super Mario section of the Online LEGO Shop.

There was also a first look at a new sporty range of LEGO BrickHeadz allowing fans to become an FC Barcelona player in LEGO BrickHeadz form with three different skin tones, four different hair colors, and many different hairstyles. The shirt features the club’s iconic crest on the front, while there are also two sticker sheets for them to add their favorite number on the back. For more information, visit the LEGO BrickHeadz section of the Online LEGO Shop.

In addition, viewers were the first to be shown the very latest LEGO Minifigures Collection that will be joining the LEGO range later this year. This unique series features a great line-up of fun characters to collect and display or to take independent or group play in unexpected new directions.

EPIC BUILD SESSIONS

To top the many products reveals and sessions, the jam-packed show was also full of opportunities for fans to immerse themselves in live-building activities and conversations with experts from around the globe.

Event highlights included a creative masterclass from inside Pixar Animation Studios, which was given by none other than the director of Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’, Angus MacLane. LEGO Harry Potter fans, meanwhile, were given the chance to see how we turn movie sets into LEGO sets through a magical building tour of the Warner Bros. Studios London – The making of Harry Potter with Harry Potter film actress Evanna Lynch and LEGO designer Marcos Bessa – giving audiences tips and magic tricks for building their very own creations along the way.

LEGO fanatics were able to take part in epic challenges, where they were shown innovative and diverse ways to build with LEGO bricks. Challenges included many special guests, including Agnes Larsson from Mojang Studios, as well as a special LIVE LEGO Masters build challenge hosted by LEGO Masters Judges Matthew Ashton and Jamie Berard, with contestants from around the globe being challenged to build the most playful cake you’ve ever seen.

“Our fantastic LEGO CON is all about bringing fans together around our shared passion for the brick. It is our way of opening our virtual doors and bringing fans of all ages closer to our designers and incredible products, to experience some of what we experience every day at the LEGO Group,” said Emma Perkins, Head of The LEGO Agency EMEA. “This year’s LEGO CON kicks off our 90th-anniversary celebrations and, to celebrate all of our awesome fans, we wanted to make sure this year’s show was even bigger, better, and brickier than last year!”

Many other beloved lines were also showcased and had some exciting new updates of their own. During the show, the new #31207 LEGO Art Floral Art wall kit with 2,870 pieces and LEGO DOTS Stitch-on and Adhesive Patches were revealed, and from games we heard about LEGO Brawls, which will soon be landing on your preferred gaming platform.

Moreover, LEGO MINDSTORMS revealed Machine Learning, a new extension in the Robot Inventor app, which uses the camera or microphone on your device to identify different images or sounds such as voice commands.

Fans had an exclusive look at the finale of the 2022 LEGO Friends show, while LEGO Ninjago saw a sneak peek of what’s to come later this year. LEGO City had cool activities such as a live in-studio stunt action and fans also got a chance to get closer than ever before inside a LEGO Technic set.

Missed the action? No problem! LEGO CON 2022 is now available to stream for free in full at LEGO.com/LEGOCON or on the LEGO YouTube channel. You can also check out the latest news and products that were revealed during LEGO CON 2022 by visiting the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? Did you participate in LEGO CON? Are you excited for the new sets? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!

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The LEGO Group Plans to Open Factory in the U.S.

by on June 16, 2022
in Community News

Here is an interesting piece of news for LEGO fans. The LEGO Group is planning to open a new factory in the U.S. The new facility will expand the LEGO Group’s global manufacturing network, shorten the supply chain, and support long-term growth in the Americas. Below is the full press-release with all the details.

The LEGO Group today announced plans to invest more than US$1 billion to build a new factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Once completed, the 1.7 million square foot (160,000m2 ) facility will employ more than 1,760 people.

The factory will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility. 100 percent of its day-to-day energy needs will be matched by renewable energy generated by an onsite solar park. The site will also be designed to minimize energy consumption and the use of non-renewable resources.

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, said: “This is an exciting step for the LEGO Group. More and more families are falling in love with LEGO building and we are looking forward to making LEGO bricks in the U.S., one of our largest markets. The location in Virginia allows us to build a solar park, which supports our sustainability ambitions and provides easy links to countrywide transportation networks. We are also looking forward to creating fantastic employment opportunities for the people of Virginia.”

Construction will commence in fall 2022 with production projected to start in the second half of 2025. A temporary packaging site will open in an existing building nearby in early 2024 and create up to 500 jobs.

The Virginia factory will be the LEGO Group’s seventh factory globally and the second in the Americas. The company’s manufacturing site in Monterrey, Mexico primarily supplies the U.S. market and will be expanded and upgraded to meet the growing demand for LEGO products.

Carsten Rasmussen, Chief Operations Officer of the LEGO Group, said: “Our factories are located close to our biggest markets which shortens the distance our products have to travel. This allows us to rapidly respond to changing consumer demand and helps manage our carbon footprint. Our new factory in the U.S. and expanded capacity at our existing site in Mexico mean we will be able to best support long-term growth in the Americas. We are fortunate to find a location where we can begin construction quickly and create temporary capacity in under two years.”

The new factory in Virginia, like all LEGO facilities, will use state-of-the-art technology to mould, process, pack LEGO products, and ensure they meet the company’s rigorous safety and quality requirements.

“Our bricks are made to last for generations, so we need skilled employees trained to work with precision moulding technology. We look forward to working with the Virginia Talent Accelerator program to help build a great team who are motivated by our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow,” said Mr. Rasmussen.

LEGO factories in Europe and China are also being expanded, and in December 2021, the Group announced plans to build a factory in Vietnam to support further growth in Asia.

The LEGO Group currently employs approximately 2,600 people in the U.S. where it has been operating since the 1960s. Its U.S. head office is in Enfield, CT, and operates 100 LEGO branded stores across the country. Below are some facts and figures about the new facility.

  • Investment: US$1 billion over 10 years
  • Jobs: 1,760 positions created over 10 years
  • Land: 340 acres/137 ha
  • Buildings: 1.7 million sq ft / 160.000 m² which will house moulding, processing, and packing and a high bay warehouse.
  • Timeline:
    • 2022 Groundbreaking
    • 2024 Packing in temporary building begins
    • 2025, H2 Production commences, solar park completed
  • Sustainability ambitions: The Virginia facility will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral factory which means it will be a highly energy-efficient site and 100 percent of its energy needs will be matched by onsite renewable sources. It will strive to:
    • Reduce energy usage: The factory buildings and manufacturing processes will be designed to minimize energy use. The aim is to secure Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for the building once it’s completed.
    • Increase renewable energy supply: An onsite solar park will be constructed which will match all the factory’s energy needs.
  • Precision manufacturing: Each LEGO brick is moulded to the accuracy of a hair’s width (5my/0.005mm) to ensure the perfect ‘clutch power’ that holds LEGO creations together.

This opening of the new factory is exciting news for LEGO fans in North America for several reasons. It should fix the supply issues and delays we have been experiencing the past few years. And it should also offer further job opportunities for those who would like to work at the LEGO Group. I also hope that the new factory will offer tours, so we don’t have to fly all the way to Denmark to visit a LEGO factory.

What do you think? How do you like the idea of a LEGO factory in the U.S.? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!

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