Star Wars fans must have been over the moon (pun intended) with this one. The Lego Group and Sphere Studios used the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas to stage a large-scale, interactive Star Wars experience during CES 2026, transforming the venue’s 580,000-square-foot Exosphere into a brick-built version of the Death Star to mark the reveal of the new Lego Smart Play platform.
Created in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm, the activation recreated the iconic trench run from Star Wars: A New Hope, with invited guests piloting a physical, Lego-themed X-wing cockpit installed outside the venue. Player input controlled a real-time game sequence rendered across the Exosphere, making it the first interactive experience ever operated on Sphere’s exterior LED surface. The project was designed and produced by Sphere Studios.
The installation was designed to demonstrate the concept behind Lego Smart Play, a new system that blends traditional building with embedded digital interactivity. The platform is based on the Lego Smart Brick and connected elements, such as Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags, and will debut first in Lego Star Wars sets.
Lego and Star Wars take over the Sphere in the video below:
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“This interactive Exosphere experience, which brings Lego Smart Play and Star Wars to life on an unprecedented scale, marks the first collaboration to leverage Sphere’s new immersive Exosphere technologies, and exemplifies how brands can utilize Sphere to connect with their fans in new ways,” said Marcus Ellington, Executive Vice President of Ad Sales and Sponsorships at Sphere.
Lego Smart Play will launch March 1, 2026, in select markets, beginning with three Star Wars “All-In-One” sets that include a Lego Smart Brick, at least one Smart Minifigure, and supporting components. Pre-orders opened January 9 through Lego.com, Lego Stores, and select retail partners.
The activation also showed how far the Lego Group has evolved from being seen primarily as a traditional toy maker to a global entertainment and experiential brand. After refocusing on its core building system in the mid-2000s following a period of financial strain, Lego has steadily expanded into films, video games, licensing, and large-scale live experiences, positioning itself alongside major media and technology companies and keeping the brand culturally relevant to both new generations and longtime adult fans.
(Images and video: Sphere)