The new LEGO sets I'll be picking up in January 2026

With 2025 coming to a close, I'm looking ahead to 2026 and the new sets launching soon to determine what has topped my day one wishlist.

From NINJAGO's 15th anniversary to some of my personal favourite pocket-money models ever released, there's a lot that I'm looking forward to on January 1. As much as I have had a preview of what is to come next year through some of my recent reviews, including the massive 71861 The Old Town, there are plenty of items left on my wishlist for 2026.

I'll be heading to my local LEGO store in early January, aiming to pick up a few of the following sets alongside most of those new NINJAGO Build-a-Minifigure parts. There are other items on my personal wishlist, but these are the builds I've convinced myself to pick up at launch, rather than waiting for any kind of discount.

71866 Ninja Character Display

Price: £34.99 / $44.99 / €39.99 Pieces: 337 Minifigures: 8

After previewing NINJAGO's 15th anniversary builds and minifigures in my 71861 The Old Town review, it should come as no surprise that 71866 Ninja Character Display has shot up my list of priorities.

NINJAGO fans won't need any extra reasons to pick up the set beyond those eight minifigures and the lower price of £34.99 / $44.99 / €39.99. However, it's an incredibly specific Easter egg hidden at the back of the build and the fact that it connects to the 15th-anniversary minifigure stands, which have sealed the deal for me.

77252 APXGP Team Race Car

Price: £22.99 / $27.99 / €27.99 Pieces: 268 Minifigures: 2

There's no doubt that 77256 Time Machine from Back to the Future and 77255 Lightning McQueen are equally, if not more tempting than 77252 APXGP Team Race Car, but there's something about a black and gold colour scheme that has swayed me into picking up the F1 movie model early next month.

I didn't pick up too many of the Formula 1 Speed Champions sets from earlier this year, but I enjoyed the different builds in those that ended up in my collection. That has partially convinced me to pick up 77252 APXGP Team Race Car upon its launch, and the first Brad Pitt minifigure isn't a bad bonus either.

Two 71051 Series 28 Animals minifigures

Price: £3.49 / $4.99 / €4.99 each Pieces: varies Minifigures: one each

71051 Series 28 Animals isn't for me. I'm not a collector of the LEGO animal costume minifigures and have frequently struggled to mix them into my wider collection. Seeing a full series of them didn't excite me, but I've been happy to see that many in the LEGO community are looking forward to them. Despite my disinterest in animal costumes, there are two I'm planning on picking up next week for specific reasons.

I'm hoping to find only the Dalmatian and Frog costumes. The first will be used to upgrade the Spot minifigure, and the second is a must-have to make my own custom NINJAGO Frohicky minifigure. I'll be making use of Brick Search to help me find those two minifigures, and you can find out more about the minifigure-scanning app by clicking here.

31376 Cute Hamster with a Flower

Price: £8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 Pieces: 166 Minifigures: 0

Of the new LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets, it's 31376 Cute Hamster with a Flower that has captured my heart. The £8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 has a generous piece count used to depict the adorable animal at a realistic size, and with a surprising level of posability. The fact that you can turn the head to face up and down is the cherry on top of an immediate favourite set of 2026, and I cannot wait to hide the LEGO hamster around my house.

11370 Stranger Things: The Creel House

Price: £249.99 / $299.99 / €279.99 Pieces: 2,593 Minifigures: 13

While I won't be diving into the new LEGO modular building, 11371 Shopping Street immediately, the latest episodes of Stranger Things and Chris' review have convinced me to pick up 11370 Stranger Things: The Creel House on January 1. It's not quite as good as that first Stranger Things set to me, which I missed out on, but the functionality and character coverage have drawn me in. I have been persuaded to part with the necessary £249.99 / $299.99 / €279.99.

Thankfully, ordering it on day one should net me both 40891 Stranger Things: WSQK Radio Station and 40913 Vintage Parade car for free. The former is exclusive to the Stranger Things set while stocks last, and the latter is available with all orders of £180 / $200 / €200 between January 1 and 11.

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