Every August, Lego launches its largest wave of new sets of the year. For 2026, that means 95 new builds just landed on the official Lego storefront as well as other retailers like Amazon and Walmart. While summer may be winding down over the next few weeks, Lego is just getting started with the season by launching its annual summer collection, complete with a fresh batch of Pokémon kits, lifelike botanical builds, display-worthy sport cars and so much more.
Building Lego is one of my favorite hobbies, and as someone who has assembled hundreds of kits over the past few years, there are only so many of the new launches that are actually worth buying for myself or recommending to friends as Lego gifts. That’s why I’m diving in to break down what’s new, what I’ve already purchased and what I think is worth building.
To start off August, I woke up bright and early on Saturday to head to my local Lego store in search of a few new sets. As a giant Pokémon and Star Wars fan, it should be no surprise to see the latest kits from either franchise on the list, but this month’s new releases also include a buildable Jaguar sports car and a new life-like plant set.
Lego Pokémon Rayquaza
The set that I was most excited to build from Lego's summer 2026 collection is Pokémon Emerald's mascot, Rayquaza. The fearsome Legendary Pokémon gets the Lego treatment in this 1,083-piece build. I've already had a chance to assemble it and love just how cool the finished model is. Alongside the pocket monster, the kit includes a section of the in-game Sky Pillar location as well as an exclusive Zinnia minifigure and tons of detailed printed elements that were made just for this set. I can't recommend it enough after adding it to my own Lego collection.
