LEGO® CON is over and it’s safe to say for a first attempt things went pretty well, despite a brief technical hitch. During the show, we were treated to the first official look at some upcoming sets including LEGO Star Wars and the new LEGO Super Mario range. The latest LEGO Ideas set was also revealed to be the Foosball Table. Interviews with the LEGO Design Team, NASA astronaut Mike Massimino and Mojang Studios’ Chief Storyteller Lydia Winters, all offered a unique look behind the scenes of the creation of sets and experiences. If you couldn’t watch live you’ll be able to rewatch the event anytime right here.
There is a very vocal group who it’s safe to say, didn’t enjoy the show. Despite the LEGO Group clearly stating this show was aimed at younger LEGO fans, many AFOLs seem to have declared the event a failure as it didn’t directly cater to them and didn’t reveal certain sets. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but the LEGO community is becoming increasingly irritated by the silliest of things. Many seem to have forgotten it’s a toy that can be enjoyed by fans of all ages and certainly not just adults. The LEGO Group has gone to great lengths to embrace adult LEGO fans, even creating sets directly aimed towards that market. I’m yet to see any kids moaning that there are too many 18+ sets being released.
First ever LEGO® CON takes off with great success and leaves fans dazzled by an abundance of LEGO news and action
Jam-packed inaugural event with nonstop excitement for kids and families
Billund, DK – June 26th, 2021: Today, LEGO fans everywhere were treated with tons of exciting and awe-inspiring moments at LEGO® CON 2021. From thrilling building challenges and official set reveals, to exclusive behind-the-scenes access to LEGO Designers and special guests, there was something for everyone during the two-hour live stream!
Emma Perkins, Senior Director at The LEGO Agency, said: “We established LEGO® CON as a unique way to bring fans of all ages and interests together for one incredible and inspiring day of LEGO fun! We wanted to connect with LEGO fans in a new way, and seeing the idea which we first pitched internally ten months ago now brought to life feels truly incredible. I’m absolutely thrilled to see the engagement from fans who fully emerged themselves in the event, whether it was through voting in a poll, creating a LEGO DOTS design, or connecting with other like-minded fans in the live chats. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for LEGO CON moving forward!”
Special guests and exhilarating competitions
One of the many highlights of LEGO CON 2021 was the guest appearance of former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino who talked about what it’s like to be a real-life astronaut and let fans in on details behind the NASA Artemis mission. Mike and LEGO Designer George Gilliatt also revealed how NASA and the LEGO design team worked to recreate actual space craft as LEGO sets. Adding to the thrill, they also hinted that more exciting things are yet to come from the collaboration!
For fans of LEGO Technic, the highlight of LEGO CON 2021 was undoubtedly the Ultimate LEGO Technic Driving Challenge race between Volvo Engineer Frida Jönsson and LEGO Designer Samuel Tacchi – set by a team from LEGO Education’s First LEGO League. Fans cheered along as the teams competed for the pride and glory of becoming the first official LEGO CON champions to take home the unique LEGO CON Technic Driving Challenge trophy.
Unveiling new products
Attendees of LEGO CON 2021 got to experience our official worldwide reveal of the LEGO Star Wars™ Imperial Light Cruiser, LEGO Star Wars™ Imperial Armored Marauder and the LEGO Star Wars™ Boba Fett’s Starship™ building sets. Not only did they get a good look at the product in detail, but they were also treated to a live Q&A with Michael Lee Stockwell, the LEGO Design Manager who oversaw the development of this set.
Meanwhile, LEGO Harry Potter fans were treated to an epic Speed Building Challenge between LEGO Designers before LEGO Design Master Marcos Bessa joined us live on-stage for a sneak peek at the latest incredible builds inspired by the Wizarding World.
The crowd also watched the world exclusive announcement of the next fan build to be made into an official LEGO Ideas set. At the age of just 16, Hungarian LEGO fan Donát Fehérvári had his mesmerizing, fan favourite Foosball Table selected for production as part of the LEGO Ideas We Love Sports contest review. His work leaves many young builders in awe and inspired to keep building and unlocking their full creative potential!
Interactive engagement throughout the event
Although LEGO CON 2021 took place virtually, it still offered attendees the chance to make their mark with LEGO DOTS by contributing to a massive 100m2 art installation. Brick Master and DOTS Creative Lead, Amy Corbett let fans in on some of her favourite design tips as she led the interactive DOTS building session. Using digital LEGO plates, fans created customized designs and patterns, which will be exhibited on the walls of LEGO House for years to come. The large LEGO mosaic wall will stand as a display of the endless creativity and power of the brick, and what better place to do so than the Home of the Brick? Best of all, there is still time to join in the fun and be part of LEGO history! Fans across the globe can submit their unique designs on LEGO.com/try-dots and become part of the epic display.
LEGO Minecraft® fans also got the chance to participate in a Q&A session with Mojang Studios’ Chief Storyteller Lydia Winters, make their voices heard and be part of the design process as they participated in a poll to help determine which character skin will be included in a future LEGO Minecraft caves and cliffs set (to be released in 2022)… Drumroll please!
Going behind the scenes with a LEGO designer
Many LEGO fans, both kids and adults, often wonder what it’s like to work as a designer making LEGO models, and today they got to pull back the curtain and discover a typical day in the life of a designer. LEGO Friends Design director Fenella Charity, and LEGO Friends Designer Ellen Bowley took fans behind the scenes of the LEGO Headquarters in Billund, Denmark to reveal a typical work day with all of its playful fun. The team also revealed interesting behind-the-scenes details about the design process and how hidden “Easter eggs” sometimes make it into models.
Other highlights of LEGO CON 2021 included a special appearance by LEGO VIDIYO musical sensation L.L.A.M.A who inspired an impromptu dance party with his hit single “Shake” featuring three-time GRAMMY® winner NE-YO and newcomer Carmen DeLeon, a speed-building competition between LEGO Harry Potter™ designers, and a closer look at LEGO® Luigi™, the newest character to join the LEGO Super Mario™ line-up.
Tim Brooks, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability and Nelleke van der Puil, Vice President of Materials also discussed the latest updates on the LEGO Group’s sustainability journey, especially highlighting the newly announced prototype LEGO brick made from recycled plastic bottles.
Hosts Melvin Odoom and Michelle Khare led viewers through the event and were joined by the star-studded cast and dedicated adult LEGO fans from all corners of the world. Attendees were also able to engage with one another and make their voices heard by joining conversations and connecting with other fans who share the same passions.
The livestream kicked off with a session driven by dedicated adult LEGO fans who shared building techniques, tips, and tricks with younger fans as a way to inspire their creativity and encourage them to keep building and having fun.
Many beloved product lines were represented, including LEGO® Super Mario™, LEGO VIDIYO™, LEGO Technic™, LEGO Ninjago®, LEGO Star Wars™, LEGO Minecraft®, LEGO Harry Potter™, LEGO DOTS, LEGO Friends, LEGO City and LEGO Ideas. Fans also got a peak at the different experiences zones within LEGO House throughout the course of the program.
Missed the action? No problem! LEGO CON 2021 was open to the public as a virtual experience. If you missed the live event, you can still view the full show here http://LEGO.com/LEGOCON or on the LEGO Group YouTube channel http://youtube.com/LEGO.
You can also check out the latest news and products that were revealed during LEGO CON 2021 by visiting LEGO.com.
26th June 2021
I’m sorry, were we watching a different show? I know I wasn’t the intended audience for this, but it was awful. Melvin looked embarrassed to be working with such amateurs!
Reveals? Everything had already been either revealed previously or leaked.
Ok, it was aimed at younger fans of the brick, but… I’ll never, ever get those two hours back!
27th June 2021
A second comment from me:
whereas I agree that the AFOL community have become increasingly irritated by the smallest of details. TLG have caused much of the annoyance by giving out mixed messages recently. A prime example was at the reveal recently of the next ideas set. Before the announcement, Sam and his colleague gave reasons why certain ideas wouldn’t be taken forward. But, surely, any proposed idea should never have gotten on the platform if it didn’t comply to the rules they were quoting. Especially if IP was one of the main issues!
I did think LEGO Con was tedious, boring and downright amateurish. But, I also understand that it wasn’t aimed at me. TLG made it clear from the get-go that this event was aimed at engaging children who might be thinking of ditching the brick for something else. But, I also think TLG could’ve made this event less “annoying” to those AFOLs who thought that there was going to be a big reveal by not over-egging the “big reveal” in the pre-event publicity.
But, what do I know. Probably nothing!