LEGO June 2023 new sets – Brick Fanatics’ staff picks

Check out what the Brick Fanatics team will be picking up from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores on June 1, and maybe find some inspiration for your own shopping list along the way.

Still struggling to take in every LEGO June 1 release? Don’t worry: there are a lot of them. But here at Brick Fanatics HQ, we’ve been poring over all 70+ sets for the past few weeks, sizing up which we’re going to be gunning for on day one at our local LEGO Stores (or online, for those of us not fortunate enough to have a brand store within easy reach).

We’ve each picked out our top choices below, so dive in and see what we’ll be building June 1. And don’t forget to let us know in the comments what you’re looking forward to building – and whether or not you agree with our nominations.

Chris – 60379 Deep-Sea Explorer Submarine

Theme: LEGO City Price: £94.99 / $109.99 / €104.99 Pieces: 842 Release date: June 1, 2023

I love a good boat, me. And a good shark. Maybe three good sharks, if you’re asking. An underwater shipwreck would be cool, too. And some brick-built jellyfish. You know what? Chuck in a mech for good measure. These might sound like ingredients for a DREAMZzz set, but this recipe is actually taken straight from the LEGO City cookbook for 60379 Deep-Sea Explorer Submarine – and I can’t wait to get it on the grill. Hang on, I think I’ve lost track of this metaphor.

In short: the new LEGO City sets combining the deep-sea explorers and arctic subthemes really speak to me, and if you also love LEGO animals, cool boats and sci-fi colour schemes, they’ll hopefully appeal to you, too. 60377 Explorer Diving Boat is on the list, but top of my June 1 pile will be 60379 Deep-Sea Explorer Submarine. Tomorrow can’t come quick enough.

Rachael – 76422 Diagon Alley: Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes

Theme: LEGO Harry Potter Price: £84.99 / $89.99 / €94.99 Pieces: 834 Release date: June 1, 2023

The Weasley twins are easily some of the best Harry Potter characters, and the sequence exploring their joke shop in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an enchanting example of what it would truly be like to live in the Wizarding World. It’s no surprise then that I’m very excited for 76422 Diagon Alley: Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, packed full of tricky references and magical prank accessories.

With so many LEGO Harry Potter sets centred around Hogwarts, it’s fun to see some of the colour and magical humour make it into the theme, from Umbridge’s head glowering from the upper floor to the vomiting candy machine. Sure, it might make me a child to still get a kick out of Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougat, but who’s going to stop me? I’ll be first in line to pick this set up on June 1.

Jack – 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery

Theme: LEGO Jurassic Park Price: £74.99 / $79.99 / €84.99 Pieces: 512 Release date: June 1, 2023

I’ve been waiting years for a LEGO Brachiosaurus – whether it be part of LEGO Jurassic World or not – and finally the moment is here. 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery is a highlight of the Jurassic Park 30th anniversary wave, not least for its debut of the huge LEGO dinosaur. As well as the Brachiosaurus, the tree is a scene-accurate inclusion and the detailed Jeep Wrangler makes this model a must-have. That’s not to mention the rare appearance of John Hammond, along with Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler.

There’s so much to look forward to in 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery, and I’m especially keen to pair the new Brachiosaurus up with the other LEGO dinosaurs in scenes taken straight out of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. At last, the dinosaur best known for its appearance in the LEGO Jurassic World video game has been brought to life.

Will – 80048 The Mighty Azure Lion

Theme: LEGO Monkie Kid Price: £64.99 / $79.99 / €74.99 Pieces: 789 Release date: June 1, 2023

There’s no way around the fact that Monkie Kid is one of the LEGO Group’s best original themes right now. Innovative building techniques, eye-catching colour schemes, and a dramatic sense of scale make this theme’s sets stand out. And nothing stands out more than giant mechs. Get it? Because they stand. On legs. Because they’re mechs. No? That was a stretch? Yeah, yeah. Anyways.

NINJAGO may have a lot of incredibly-designed mechs (there are even a few bangers in this June wave, love that transforming bike mech), but I’d argue that Monkie Kid is the true king of LEGO mechs these days. 80048 The Mighty Azure Lion is no exception. The minifigure selection, the colour palette, and the reasonable price are all great parts of this set, but I’d like to focus on one specific element: the head.

Tell me that isn’t the most expressive LEGO lion face you could possibly build! Tell me the use of dragon jaw pieces to make a lion’s mane isn’t the most genius thing you’ve ever seen! Tell me you don’t want to hug this mech! 10/10, no notes!

Matt – 43226 Disney Duos

Theme: LEGO Disney Price: £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99 Pieces: 553 Release date: June 1, 2023

The LEGO Group certainly can’t be faulted for trying something different with 43226 Disney Duos. The colourful build offers up four pairs of iconic animated duos, with each poseable display model based on classic Disney companion characters such as Lumiere and Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast and Moana’s Pua and Hei Hei.

Priced at £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99, the 553-piece set not only offers younger builders the opportunity to construct multiple Disney buddies, but also gives older fans the chance to add some unique models to their collections. Rounding out the set is a Disney 100th-anniversary plaque for each character and connectible display stands for mixing and matching the companions.

43226 Disney Duos celebrates Disney’s centenary in suitable style, with a variety of famous animated friends that can be displayed in many different poses – and the price-to-piece ratio for the licensed set seems pretty reasonable too.

Dani – 40643 Jade Rabbit

Theme: LEGO Exclusives Price: £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 Pieces: 288 Release date: June 1, 2023

40643 Jade Rabbit is one of those sets that, while small and perhaps maybe easily overlooked, definitely shouldn’t be missed.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, is an important festival that is celebrated in many Asian countries, and is honoured here with 40643 Jade Rabbit. The white bunny from the set, which is also known as the Moon Rabbit, sits on a snow skin mooncake, which opens up to reveal two smaller rabbits inside and a yellow moon. The exterior also has the moon and some clouds, a tree with a red lantern, a mini waterfall, and a brown mortar and pestle for the Jade Rabbit.

Even if you don’t celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, this set is beautiful, and could easily be lost among the sets from larger IPs. For the small size of the set a lot of details have been packed in, making it a great choice if you’re looking to get something for June 1 without breaking the bank.

Click here to check out the entire roster of LEGO sets launching on June 1, and head here for more suggestions for day one purchases.

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