Brick Live Christmas 2019: Play-Heaven Returns to Monte Carlo

Through the festive season including Christmas and into the first week of New Year 2020 the 2019 edition of BRICKLIVE Monaco is on show at the Grimaldi Forum after its huge success last year. There, you can experience an exhilarating LEGO-style brick building experience for the whole family, during the wonderful time of the holidays. The concept remains unchanged: thematic workshops where children and parents can work on building games in worlds they know well (Friends, Star Wars, Duplo, etc.), spread throughout the massive Espace Ravel. To maximize the recreational atmosphere, there are car races, dance competitions, makeup sessions, as well as a few surprises that you won’t want to miss. It’s everything that the children, the kings of the party, might want! HelloMonaco paid a visit to see just what all those happy kids were up to. There the life-size Santa is also LEGO and is one of the big hits for selfies and photo-ops. It’s an infinite adventure playground with so many things to see.

BRICKLIVE Ocean Sea Monsters

The giant squid in LEGO looks like real one – it’s a frightening monster of the deep. Did you know that scars found on whales are caused by these fearsome squids. The team that made it are licking their wounds after 90.000 bricks and 300 hours of work and putting in place a LEGO work of art weighing over 450 kilos!

And look at this predator with razor sharp teeth nearby. But the kids are not likely to get nightmares because they are soon with the cuddly sea lions and a manatee that took over 150.000 bricks to make.

It’s all part of BRICKLIVE Ocean, showcasing thirty sea monsters and cute sea friends, large and small – and coral reefs too. It’s a fun way of educating children and families about the incredible diversity of life in the Earth’s Oceans, and about the major environmental issues that threaten their existence.

LEGO World Record 

Can you guess what the world record is for a LEGO model and what it was? It was a bridge made from an unbelievable 5.8 million bricks, not an ordinary bridge but the London Tower Bridge and the constructors needed five months to construct their record-breaking feat.

Little Chefs at Play 

You wouldn’t think that the next generation of Michelin Star chefs would be honing their skills at BRICKLIVE but seeing is believing. So if your kiddie is a foodie there is a delightful Little Chefs wing in the Expo sponsored by the Fairmont Hotel in Monte Carlo. And it’s all the rage. The children are going crazy making cut-out cookies shaped like cute people and animals and decorating them – and then comes the best; they eat them even if it looks a bit cannibalistic.

This Little Chefs idea is one of the big hits of the 2019 Expo.

Race Ramp’s Formula E Venturi

BRICKLIVE has a whole arena dedicating to racing enthusiasts with one of the most amazing life-size racing cars built of LEGO bricks you will ever see – Felipe Massa’s Formula E Venturi car unveiled by the racing ace himself. It is real size – 5 metres long by 1.80 metres wide and 1 metre high, a Formula E built entirely by a team of professional builders and weighing just over 1 ton. The children are busy building their own imitations – slightly smaller! And another hit with the children are the blue safety helmets and yellow jackets that of course constructors must wear in their building sites. So why not LEGO constructors too. It’s difficult to know what the kids are enjoying more posing with their blue hats and yellow jackets (donated by J.B. Pastor&Fils) or actually building their LEGO models

Redevelop the Principality 

And there is a very Monegasque theme to this year BRICKLIVE where you can rebuild Monaco. Redevelop the Principality by constructing buildings, houses, cars and even boats – or just admire the models of the Palace and you guessed it – there had to be a grand model of Portier Cove, Monaco’s new extension into the sea. Tempted to rebuild the Palace? Dive-in and add a tower but you’ll have to build it over 35 metres high to beat the world LEGO record.

BRICKLIVE even has a little dance stage with a play-friend dancing with the kids. And you don’t have to go to the Christmas Village in Port Hercule to have your face painted, either.

Themes For Both Girls and Boys 

And no matter where you look you have incredible Lego Expos, themed just as much for girls as boys. Everywhere in this vast playground there are mesmerising play-pits full of bricks of every colour, shape and size. There must be millions of bricks in all. So many themes in fact, it’s like 10 expos in one. There’s a refreshment area too, so you could spend the whole day exhausting the kids and yourselves.

If Consoles and playing Minecraft and galactic games is your thing you are also in Game heaven.

If you really want to exit after all this – don’t miss out on walking past the Graffitti Wall. It’s just one of those brilliant ideas that has all the kids and adults transfixed.

LEGO “Leg godt” means “play well” in Danish and over 80 years since a toy maker made the first prototype is now a universal language. The Expo at Grimaldi is called BRICKLIVE but Brick Love might be just as appropriate. There is plenty of love, happiness and Christmas spirit in the Expo – especially for the children. Don’t miss it. Play Well!

Practical information

Show open every day up to and including January 5 except December 25 and January 1, from 10am to 6pm.

Information and reservation on www.bricklivemonaco.com

Tickets open at Grimaldi Forum, on the website www.grimaldiforum.com or by phone at 99 99 30 00

Adult (from 13 years old): €20/ Child from 3 to 12 years old: €16/ Free for children under 3 years old/ Person with reduced mobility with guide: €10 per person.