Visit outer space this summer with the return of Sheffield Lego festival Bricktropolis

Astronauts and space rockets are set to land in the city this summer as a festival celebrating celebrate everyone’s favourite childhood bricks, Lego, returns.
Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Dylan Maddocks, six.Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Dylan Maddocks, six.
Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Dylan Maddocks, six.

The Bricktropolis event, launched by Sheffield BID, will see 15 space models made entirely of Lego bricks go on display for toy lovers of all ages to enjoy.

Standing at 1.9m tall, the Neil Armstrong model is made up of more than 57,000 bricks, while the 2.8m-tall Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket has 68,583 bricks.

Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Chris Adams with his models.Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Chris Adams with his models.
Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Chris Adams with his models.
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Building on the success of the World Landmarks trail last year, this summer sees a new Outer Space themed trail join the Bricktropolis programme, which is set to run from August 17 to 30.

Diane Jarvis, Sheffield BID Manager, said she hoped thousands of people would attend.

She said:“Last year, Sheffield Bricktropolis and its trail of world-famous landmarks attracted over 25,000 visitors. We hope to build on that success this year with a fantastic new outer space theme.

"One of Sheffield BID's key objectives is to keep Sheffield City Centre busy throughout the year. August can be a quieter time with students away and many people on their summer holiday, so Bricktropolis is great opportunity to get families, residents and new visitors into the city centre and support our local businesses.

Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Richard Hinchliffe.Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Richard Hinchliffe.
Sheffield Bricktropolis Fringe, which is part of Sheffield Bricktropolis AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) display at the Interactive Building Zone. Pictured is Richard Hinchliffe.
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“The trail is designed to encourage people to explore all corners of the city centre and not just the well-trodden routes.

“In an age when retail and restaurants are facing increasing challenges, city centres really need to stand out and provide a diverse range of offers and activities. The Sheffield BID events programme is a huge part of doing just that.”

Families are invited to take part in a journey of discovery that follows humankind from Earth to the stars, with an array of planets, astronauts, space vehicles and rockets to find along the interstellar trail.

Find the Vostok I and Saturn V rockets, there wil be a chance to join Neil Armstrong on the moon and even meet a friendly visitor from outer space.

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There will also be models of astronauts Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, as well as planets, the first flag on the moon, and various space vehicles.

Visitors can download the Sheffield Bricktropolis app to scan the models and reveal fun facts.

The Interactive Building Zone will also transform an empty unit into a place for play, creativity and education. Free workshops and a range of activities will be available.

The Outer Space theme was planned to celebrate 50 years of the moon landing. The models have been constructed by Bright Bricks, the UK’s only professional Lego-brick building company. Full details about the two-week programme will be available at the beginning of July Sign up for updates at www.sheffieldbricktropolis.com.