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Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, Love Island’s Chyna Mills and lifestyle influencer Georgia Jones were among the stars helping to launch LEGO’s new “Chalet of Play” in Covent Garden, a festive family experience open to everyone this Christmas. They were joined by TV personality Frankie Essex and Hits Radio presenter Kat Shoob, who made surprise appearances with their families as the attraction opened to coincide with the Covent Garden Christmas Lights switch-on. The celebrities joined local families as some of the first to explore the immersive pop-up, which blends hands-on creativity with a dash of Christmas magic. Inside, visitors can hang their own brick-built decorations on the glowing “Creativi-Tree”, take on the Tinsel Toss fairground challenge, or venture into the LEGO Minecraft Zone to hunt for presents stolen by mischievous mobs. There’s also a “Build To Give” corner encouraging visitors to give back this festive season — for every LEGO heart built, the company will donate a LEGO set to a child in need. Adlington, who attended with her husband Andrew Parsons and daughter Summer, said: “It’s such a lovely way to kick off Christmas together.” Located on The Piazza, Covent Garden, The Chalet of Play runs until Sunday 30 November, transforming the square into a bright and joyful celebration of play. Guests can build, create and capture the perfect photo alongside life-sized LEGO models of Santa and Rudolph, all while soaking up the festive atmosphere of the surrounding Christmas market. The experience is completely free and open to visitors of all ages, offering a creative alternative to traditional festive events in the capital. Meanwhile, the LEGO Store in Leicester Square has also had a seasonal makeover. From this week, families can visit its own winter chalet on the first floor to enjoy interactive builds, photo ops and festive displays inspired by music, film and gaming favourites. The launch follows major business news for the brand. In September, LEGO announced plans to buy 29 entertainment venues from theme park operator Merlin Entertainments for around £200 million. The deal covers LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, which include building zones, creative workshops and retail spaces visited by around five million people a year across nine countries, including Birmingham and Manchester in the UK. The purchase, expected to complete by the end of the year, forms part of LEGO’s strategy to expand its retail and experiential presence worldwide. It does not include larger LEGOLAND Resorts such as Legoland Windsor, which will continue to be run by Merlin under licence.
