Over 1,000 adult LEGO fans gathered in Denmark near the toy giant’s birthplace

LEGO reported a net profit of around €1.15 billion in the first half of this year, up 32% on the same period last year, as toymakers increasingly cater to adults buying toys for themselves.

More than 1,000 LEGO fans from 36 countries have gathered in a small Danish town, Skærbæk, near Billund, the toy giant’s hometown, to celebrate their love of the plastic bricks.

At Skærbæk Fan Weekend, Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) find a community around a hobby often associated with children. The fan-run event welcomes people who build their own creations as well as those who collect sets.

“It's a place where AFOLs come together, no matter where they come from, no matter which language they speak, no matter what they believe in,” said Stephan Sander, co-organiser of the event.

“They have just one thing in common and that's the love for the brick.”

Adults have long enjoyed playing with LEGO, but pandemic lockdowns helped rekindle toy buying among adults, industry insiders say.

Some longtime fans also describe a shift in how their hobby is perceived.

Didier Bruel, a 66-year-old French retiree, recalled avoiding the subject when colleagues asked what he had done over the weekend.

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