Looking ahead to 2024, we’ve been scratching our chins about what could be in store for us in the new year.
The LEGO Group keeps a lot of its plans close to its chest, but there are some areas that you can try and predict if you pay enough attention. Many of our 2023 predictions did indeed come true, so we’ve decided to do the same for 2024.
Here’s a look at what we predict for 2024 – with the caveat that we can’t, of course, actually see into the future.
The complete phasing out of plastic bags – at last
The LEGO Group has been working on phasing out its plastic bags for years now – and 2024 might be the year it finally happens. We’ve already seen instances of paper bags appearing in sets, although often still with smaller plastic bags inside.
As a company that makes almost exclusively plastic products (with recent attempts to make its building materials more sustainable being abandoned), the LEGO Group certainly has a responsibility to do all it can to become more environmentally friendly. However, there are also quality control issues with paper bags, with some of the pointier LEGO elements potentially poking through paper if not reinforced enough or the risk of parts getting damaged in transit if the bags aren’t protective enough.
For 2024, here’s hoping the LEGO Group has found an effective way to fulfil its promises, in keeping with the recently confirmed timeline into paper bags.
Jetting off into Space
We’re already seeing various LEGO sets queued up for 2024 with classic Space branding on the boxes – but what could this mean? Is the LEGO Group gearing up for a revival? Will other classic themes get a similar treatment?
This could appear via references to classic Sapce sets in the modern ones, such as familiar faces appearing in sets for 2024. After all, LEGO Adventurers' Dr Kilroy (kind of) popped up in 10326 Natural History Museum, as well as the same set featuring tiny brick-built versions of iconic sets in a dedicated Classic Space exhibit.
Going even further, it's possible that the LEGO Group is gearing up for a full LEGO Space revival – but that's unlikely to be seen as early as 2024, if indeed it is on the way. However, we can safely predict that Space is going to play an important role across several themes in 2024, from detailed models in LEGO Technic to child-friendly play models in LEGO DUPLO.
More surprise IPs within LEGO Icons
In 2023, LEGO Icons welcomed some impressive IPs with 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter (releasing in 2024), 10318 Concorde, 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade, and 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell.
With some iconic fantasy and real-life topics included here, what else could be on the way next year? First and foremost, Taylor Swift has been dominating pop culture in 2023 – as well as the LEGO Ideas 10K club, demonstrating the interest in a Swiftie LEGO set. Could 2024 be the year for a Taylor Swift-themed set at last, following in the successful footprints of 21339 BTS Dynamite? Despite the LEGO Ideas team just rejecting one LEGO Ideas set based around Taylor Swift in the first 2023 review round, the LEGO Group could easily do it themselves under the LEGO Icons banner.
Elsewhere, other potential areas for exploration that made a huge cultural impact in 2023 include One Piece, which took Netflix audiences by storm when it made its live-action debut, or perhaps Bluey to capitalise on the animated series gripping younger viewers. The Hunger Games has also seen a huge revival in 2023 thanks to the release of its prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, on the silver screen – but that might prove a touch too violent for the LEGO Group's tastes.
Blurring the lines between kids and adults sets
This is more of a prediction for LEGO fans than the LEGO Group itself but we’re expecting to see still more blurring between which sets are popular with kids and adults. Traditionally child-focused themes like LEGO Friends and Creator 3-in-1 are set to release a number of sets that could well appeal to older builders, while the typically adult-centric LEGO Technic is branching out from its technically accurate builds to more imaginative models that could appear to younger fans of LEGO.
All in all, we imagine that shoppers will branch out from their traditional themes. After all, who cares if there are minidolls in a set, if the building itself it impressive (yes, we’re talking about LEGO Friends)?
A new GWP series
With the series of Houses of the World GWPs now having come to its conclusion, we could well see another line appearing to replace it. While the postcard series is seemingly ongoing, there’s certainly still room for another higher threshold gift in the LEGO system.
There’s no real indication of what this could be, but the LEGO Group do like to do series based on different regions around the world. However, with the postcard GWPs fulfilling that role, perhaps we could see a collection of mini-builds based on a different theme. The LEGO Group is already showing signs of returning to classic themes, so perhaps icons from some of the earliest LEGO themes could work.
We’re picturing miniature versions of iconic LEGO Castle, Space, and Town sets. Indeed, we’re already a third of the way there with the recent reveal of the LEGO Insiders Grey Castle Reward. Of course, the LEGO designers could really take a GWP series anywhere; it just needs to be versatile enough to work at any time of the year.
We’ve been musing about other expectations for 2024, as well as taking a look back at 2023. Check out the rest of our end-of-year reflections here.
Featured image background: Republic Records / Taylor Swift
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