Lego is an enduring favourite for people of all ages, and nothing makes this more apparent than seeing a Lego-themed event drawing big crowds. And the Plymouth Brick Festival I attended in March 2024 brought in the crowds. And more importantly, those throngs of people were well-managed by the event staff. In my experience at least. There were loads of people there, but it wasn’t an overwhelming or chaotic experience.
A festival of bricks
Like many large events in the city, it was hosted in the sports hall of the Plymouth Life Center. I have visited this place many times before, thanks to the numerous Retro Toy & Collectables Fairs and Comic Cons that I’ve previously attended there. The total walkable event took up around half of the available floor space, with the other half used as space for queuing, activity registration, and various other miscellaneous uses. This was a pretty smart move, as the event got busy. Way busier than I expected.
I rolled up to the event a few minutes before the 10 am early entry deadline. And I was pretty dumbfounded at how many people were waiting to head onto the main show floor. People seemed to be pretty dang excited about it too. The line snaked back and forth across the sports hall and I was around 5 or 6 lines deep. There were plenty of staff in attendance to direct the queue properly, register tickets, and even give away a gift to every early entry ticket holder (more on that later!)
The price might be right
The majority of tables were occupied by either people selling Lego or people showing off their creations. Prices were hit-and-miss throughout the event. They ranged anywhere from decent value, to slightly overpriced, to some sheer eye-watering numbers. I noted that most of the currently available sets were priced higher than what was being offered at places like Smyths. Not exactly great, but it’s always worth doing research before buying things. The most expensive thing I found at the Plymouth Brick Festival was the discontinued Star Wars Cloud City set for £5,000. It was advertised as pre-owned, never made, with nearly all bags unopened and all mini-figures included. Not sure I would put my money down for that. I was told that the reason for this price was a particular mini-figure.
Bricks on show
The most impressive thing about the event was the fantastic creations on show. In my opinion, the best thing about Lego is the unreal amount of creativity that can be applied to those tiny little bricks. And that creativity was on full display here. There were plenty of 2D pieces of artwork, including one of Chewbacca from Star Wars and even that meme featuring Pedro Pascal and Nicolas Cage. You know the one. Yeah, that one.
There was also an incredible amount of dioramas. Expansive sets full of cowboys, Roman soldiers, and even a variety of scenes from movies all drew in people. The standout movie scene diorama was the featuring the iconic DMC DeLorean from the classic Back To The Future film. There were also scenes from Mission Impossible, Jurassic Park, Robocop, Lord Of The Rings, and The Matrix. All great films, I’m sure you’ll agree.
There was also something else a little more topical, and a little more local on display. Back in February 2024, Plymouth made the news thanks to a World War 2 bomb found in Keyham. It had to be excavated and moved out to sea to be detonated. One local brickbuilder decided to create a small scene depicting the disposal of the aforementioned bomb. This was done in recognition of the community affected, as well as those special forces involved.
The main reason I attended was to find some video game-related items. Sadly, there wasn’t too much to find. I found someone selling a few Pokemon Quest figures. There were also several unique builds to see like the Goomba, Bob-omb, and Boo builds from Mario. The Donkey Kong build was another highlight, one that can be supported on the Lego Ideas website, at the time fo writing at least.
Nerdy purchases
Did I walk away with anything? Yes, I did. Two of the Pokémon Quest figures I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, they each came in a blind box, so I wasn’t 100% sure what I would be getting. I unboxed myself a very cute Charmander and Diglett combination. Both of which I like, although I was hoping for Mew. I also got a Chainsaw Man theme mini-figure, but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t “official” Lego. Either way, it was a great find. Finally, the gift. It was a Quidditch set from Harry Potter. Meh. Not a fan of Harry Potter. And talking to other people, it seems like it was the same gift from last time.
Overall, my first attendance at the Plymouth Brick Festival was very enjoyable. I didn’t know what to expect, so the variety and amount of tables was a nice surprise. It’s an event I would recommend, and one that seems to go all over the UK. I know I’m going to be heading to the next one when it rolls around to my city again.