Photos and highlights from Brickbuilt Sydney 2023

May 28, 2023 | 10

I finally got the opportunity to travel to Sydney for a Brickbuilt Sydney, the largest LEGO Fan convention in Sydney, Australia, organised by SydLUG!

This year, Brickbuilt Sydney was held on 27-28 May at Howie Complex, at the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.

If you’re in Sydney and still want to check it out today, tickets are still available to be purchased online! All proceeds go to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.

I usually don’t get the chance to travel interstate for LEGO shows, so I was thrilled when the dates in my calendar allowed for a visit to Brickbuilt, especially in this post-lockdown era, it’s been great to nip away for a short break and spend a weekend and a bit in Sydney.

Safe to say, I really liked this event. Held at Howie Complex, there was plenty of room to check out talented builders who travelled across the country to attend, and it was very well-lit, and the vibes were immaculate.

Everyone was so warm, and it had a great community vibe, where you could tangibly feel that everyone there truly loves LEGO and the excitement and passion was palpable.

Thank you to everyone who stopped me to say hi and introduce themselves, it was such a pleasure meeting readers based in Sydney!

I of course took plenty of photos and videos – if you’re not following me on Instagram (@jayong28), I’ve shared some videos of the MOCs on show! I’ll also upload a full album on Facebook, as I couldn’t squeeze all 127 photos I took from the event in this post, but below are some of my personal favourites and highlights!

I’m a sucker for mechs, and was so excited to see Henry Pinto’s Gundam, which was absolutely massive and awesome to see in person!

I was super impressed by this huge LEGO Jurassic World diorama by Eric Wanigasekara, who I believe is only 13!

It was just packed with fun details in every corner, and the volcano even emitted smoke!

It wouldn’t be a Sydney or Australian LEGO show without some Australiana-inspired MOCs, and I loved this little scene with LEGO Ibis – better known by their scientific name, the Bin Chicken.

The Bricker Builds Armoury was there, as well as Dave Holder’s Mario builds, which is always a pleasure to see as you never know what new builds pop up. I spied a new Green Ranger Dagger/Flute on the wall which was pretty sick!

You can check out Bricker Builds for a complete list of their models, and instructions. If you use my affiliate code JAYSBRICKBLOG, you can receive US$5 off your order!

This Viking-themed fantasy MOC – Gods and Vikings by the Krog family was really cool, and I especially loved the Norse architecture and design, Viking longboats and all the fun little scenes depicted in the massive diorama.

In was also blown away by this massive Brick Runner diorama, built by Martin L, which paid homage to Blade Runner. It’s packed with details, and nailed the gritty futuristic tones of the Blade Runner films.

Ghostbusters fans will be delighted with these 2 builds by Rohan Harrison, one a large glowing Slimer statue, and this model, which has a proton beam that twirled as it sucks up a ghost.

I also really enjoyed this Colours of Oz cube by Ramen Cupp.

There were some great art pieces on show, and I especially liked this series called Abstractify by GensLego.

This model of Notre Dame Cathedral built by Lauren Winbanks based off instructions by Stebrick was a showstopper, especially with the stained glass illuminated from the inside.

I also really loved this tranquil and beautiful Japanese landscape with a Golden temple. It’s very Kinkakuji-esque, and the composition was done well, to allow the temple to really stand out. This was built by David Scalone!

For LEGO Pirate fans, this model of Brickbeard’s Island by Jackson Shapiera was really neat, with plenty to look at from all angles, not to mention some really funny minifigure stories when you peer up close.

For Marvel fans, this massive Sanctum Sanctorum by Max Kerr really stood out too.

Speaking of which, it is always a pleasure to see TheBrickShelf and Brickapal00za‘s Batman’s Vacation, which depicts a chaotic scene where superheroes take over Gotham when Batman goes on vacation.

It’s a slightly scaled down version of the one displayed at Brickvention 2023, but still super impressive. I really liked that Clayface got a huge upgrade, with a massive arm shooting out of the water to grab the helicopter!

I’m not sure who designed this alien frog leaping out of ooze to catch an alien dragonfly, but I love the colours and element usage here – the power blasts that serve as water splashing was especially inspired!

Update: Believe this was also Max Kerr!

This massive ship is titled Yarrgghh by Tim Jones, and also drew a decent crowd admiring its size and details.

For fans of massive rockets, this huge SpaceX Starbase and Starship by Paul Fuller was truly impressive, and towered over most of the other builds and models on show.

There was also a section featuring contestants from LEGO Masters, and it’s always a pleasure to see Joss Woodyard’s Characters and Creatures, as well as these other builds from Alex, Caleb and Nick on display too.

Don’t forget to stop by the Church of Fett, build by Damo_Fett!

Despite the ill-fated themes early demise, I really enjoyed seeing these oversized LEGO Vidiyo Beatbit tiles!

I also got a huge kick from this Dinoriders MOC by Gregg Odlum! Who doesn’t love LEGO Dinosaurs strapped with lasers and rocket launchers!

I’ve saved the very best for last, and I was blown away by this Snowy Mountain Forest Castle, a massive collaborative effort by builders from Sydlug. Beyond the sheer size of this massive Castle-themed diorama, I really liked all the different factions and Castle styles represented here.

Check out some more photos below!

Overall, I had a great time at Brickbuilt Sydney! It had an incredible mix of great MOCs on show, builders from all over the country, and a splendid community vibe to it, where even if it’s quite a large-ish LEGO show, it also still feels small and intimate where you can easily chat to the builders or people you meet there, and not feel too overwhelmed by the crowds.

If you’re in Sydney and still want to check it out today, tickets are still available to be purchased online! All proceeds go to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Special thanks to Sydlug and the organising team for inviting me over, and for showing me around!

To see more photos from Brickbuilt Sydney, check out this Facebook photo album!

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