LEGO for Adults 40516 Everyone Is Awesome review

40516 Everyone Is Awesome is the LEGO Group’s very first LGBTQIA+ set, gathering attention around the world – but does it live up to the hype?

Originally released at the beginning of Pride Month, the set is made up of all the colours of the Progress Pride Flag, to represent the expanding LGBTQ+ community and all its different groups. For each of the 11 stripes of colour, there’s a monochrome minifigure to match.

Each colour signifies a different quality or community: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for new ideas, green for prosperity, indigo for serenity, purple for spirit, black and brown to represent the unique experiences of people of colour, and white, blue, and pink to signify the inclusion of the trans community.

The name is based on the infamously catchy song Everything Is Awesome from The LEGO Movie. Where that track was a comically cynical take on conformity, in 40516 Everyone is Awesome it’s a sweet and sincere sentiment that’s reflected in a lot of the design details.

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— Set details —

Theme: LEGO for Adults Set name: 40516 Everyone Is Awesome Release: June 1, 2021

Price: £30.99 / $34.99 / €34.99 Pieces: 346 Minifigures: 11

LEGO: Available now

— Build —

The build itself is surprisingly relaxing, without too many challenges to contend with. It takes around 15 minutes and is almost therapeutic. With minifigures and wall sections repeated in all 11 different colours, you can pretty much do it without the instructions after a few times around. As the build comes together, it’s surprisingly satisfying to see the different shades all line up in a row.

The structural strength of the wall is maintained without disrupting the clean flow of the colours, with longer tan bricks concealed inside. These overlapping elements keep the wall standing strong behind the row of minifigures.

There aren’t too many customisation options in this model, although you could rearrange the plates on the base so that your minifigures can stand in different positions. Choose where you want them to be using the studded 1×2 plates, then rearrange the smooth tiles around them.

— Characters —

The minifigures may be monochrome, but they have as much movement as in any other set, so you can set them up to wave, look at one another with their eyeless faces, and so on. The range of different hairstyles is the only difference between each one aside from the colour.

One cool detail is that the black and brown minifigures, there to represent LGBTQ+ people of colour, have Black hairstyles. This is a good example of representation and a small tip to people who might not know what all the colours stand for.

This is also a great starting point for diving into the world of collecting monochrome minifigures, should you choose to go down that rabbit hole…

— Price —

As it’s not the most exciting, challenging, or engaging build, the price tag does seem a little steep at £30.99 / $34.99 / €34.99. It would be a little better if some of that money went directly towards Pride charities or organisations, but that doesn’t seem to be the case – or at least, that fact hasn’t been publicised.

With no new parts and little variety in the elements aside from colour, it’s hard to see why 40516 Everyone Is Awesome couldn’t have been a little kinder on the wallet, even with 11 minifigures in the box.

— Pictures —

— Summary —

Conceived by LGBTQ+ designer Matthew Ashton, 40516 Everyone is Awesome is supposed to be the LEGO Group’s way of showing up for the queer community. However, there’s not a lot of attention brought to the financial support and awareness that the company has raised for LGBTQ+ organisations during Pride Month.

It would have been good to see some sort of education or awareness about LGBTQ+ issues or identities within the set’s instructions, perhaps teaching fans about what all the different colours mean, for example. As the LEGO Group’s first Pride set, this is a great opportunity to inform both children and adults about LGBTQ+ history and culture.

Nonetheless, 40516 Everyone Is Awesome is certainly fun to look at, with bright colours across both the minifigures and the backdrop. It’s definitely a great build to display to show your Pride throughout the year.

This product was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— FAQs —

How long does it take to build LEGO for Adults 40516 Everyone Is Awesome?

With a fairly repetitive process, the build for 40516 Everyone is Awesome shouldn’t pose any problems. You can expect to complete it in less than 15 minutes.

How many pieces are in LEGO for Adults 40516 Everyone Is Awesome?

40516 Everyone Is Awesome includes a total of 346 pieces and 11 monochrome minifigures for £30.99 / $34.99 / €34.99.

How big is LEGO for Adults 40516 Everyone Is Awesome?

40516 Everyone Is Awesome is easy to display on any desk, shelf, mantlepiece or wherever you choose to put it, coming in at a compact 10cm high, 18cm wide and 12cm deep.

How much does LEGO for Adults 40516 Everyone Is Awesome cost?

Released on June 1 in honour of Pride Month 2021, 40156 Everyone Is Awesome costs £30.99 in the UK, $34.99 in the US, and from €34.99 in Europe.

Author Profile

Rachael Davies
I am a freelance journalist based in Edinburgh, writing about all things nerdy, from Star Wars and Marvel through to LEGO flowers and Gundam. When I’m not writing, you’ll likely find me trying to stop my two pet rabbits from chewing everything I own, meaning I essentially work two full-time jobs at once.

Rachael Davies

I am a freelance journalist based in Edinburgh, writing about all things nerdy, from Star Wars and Marvel through to LEGO flowers and Gundam. When I’m not writing, you’ll likely find me trying to stop my two pet rabbits from chewing everything I own, meaning I essentially work two full-time jobs at once.

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