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Legoland Florida Names LEGO Pokémon the Play Zone Headliner of LEGO Festival 2026, a World First for SMART Play
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Legoland Florida Names LEGO Pokémon the Play Zone Headliner of LEGO Festival 2026, a World First for SMART Play

Michael Travels
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Legoland Florida just gave its summer LEGO Festival a marquee draw: LEGO Pokémon headlines the new Play Zone, and it doubles as a world-first hands-on preview of the LEGO Pokémon SMART Play system weeks before the sets hit stores.

LEGO Pokémon Play Zone key art for LEGO Festival 2026 at Legoland Florida, featuring a giant LEGO Pikachu.
The LEGO Pokémon Play Zone headlines LEGO Festival 2026. Image: Legoland Florida Resort / Merlin Entertainments.

The headlines:

  • What: LEGO Pokémon Play Zone, the headliner of LEGO Festival 2026 at Legoland Florida in Winter Haven.
  • Festival dates: July 20 through August 16, 2026.
  • World first: guests will be among the first anywhere to try the new LEGO Pokémon SMART Play system in action. The retail sets do not launch until August 2026.
  • Cost: included with all regular tickets and Annual Passes, no separate event ticket.

What the SMART Play system actually does

Per Merlin's announcement, the SMART Play system is "designed to help play last longer and feel more dynamic, active, social and interactive, and it's screen free fun." The idea: you add SMART tags to your built creations, and those tags trigger interactive reactions, so a build can be caught, bonded with, nurtured, trained, and sent into battle.

Inside the Play Zone

The festival is built around a selection of five Pokémon that guests bond with, nurture, and train (Legoland has not named the specific five). Per the announcement, guests will:

  • Bond with, nurture, and train their Pokémon.
  • Build Pokémon snacks in a Nurture area.
  • Add SMART tags and watch their Pokémon react.
  • Build and display a LEGO Poké Ball.
  • Battle at a Trainer Center.
  • Snap a photo with a debut giant LEGO Pikachu model.

LEGO Pokémon builds and SMART Play activities at the LEGO Festival 2026 Play Zone at Legoland Florida.
LEGO Pokémon SMART Play builds at the Play Zone. Image: Legoland Florida Resort / Merlin Entertainments.

What they said

From Brian Bacica, Park President of Legoland Florida Resort: "LEGO Pokémon brings an exciting new way for families to play together at this year's LEGO Festival."

Quick planner notes

  • LEGO Festival runs July 20 through August 16, 2026, and is included with admission, so there is no separate ticket for the Play Zone.
  • The LEGO F1 Thrill Zone is the festival's other headliner this year, so families get both the Pokémon and F1 builds in one visit.
  • If your kids want the physical LEGO Pokémon sets, those launch at retail in August 2026, after the festival preview.

Sources

Image credits: LEGO Pokémon Play Zone art via Legoland Florida Resort / Merlin Entertainments.

Mentioned in this story

Check out our guides for more on each place in this story:

Legoland Theme Park LEGO Festival

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