Launches

LEGO Friends 42709-1 Pet Care & Play Center launches Jan 1, 2027

Bik Brik EditorOctober 30, 2026

Written by Bik Brik Editor with AI assistance and automated fact checks. Editorial policy

LEGO Friends 42709 Pet Care & Play Center — Image: Rebrickable

LEGO Friends will welcome three new sets on January 1, 2027: Pet Care & Play Center 42709, Friendship Party Bus 42718, and Heartlake City Shopping Mall 42719. Pet Care & Play Center leads the group with 366 pieces and a $49.99 price, bringing animal care and interactive play to Heartlake City.

Key facts

Set number: 42709-1
Theme: Friends
Pieces: 0
Original price: $49.99
Launch date: January 1, 2027

What experiences do the three new LEGO Friends sets offer?

The new releases explore three familiar aspects of Heartlake City: looking after animals, celebrating with friends, and shopping. The Brick Fan describes Pet Care & Play Center 42709 as a setting where Leo, Nova, and Amara care for a Pomeranian, a cat, a bunny, and an axolotl. Play features include a slide, seesaw, and climbing tree for the cat. The reception desk and pet beds can also be removed, giving builders flexibility when arranging the center.

Friendship Party Bus 42718 takes the theme on the road. Its double-decker design includes a private pool and a rooftop slide, turning the vehicle into a mobile party destination. Heartlake City Shopping Mall 42719 returns to the shopping-center setting, a recognizable location in the Friends range. Together, these models offer distinct play scenarios rather than three variations of the same building concept.

What stands out about the release date and individual sets?

Brickset identifies January 1, 2027, as the release date for all three sets. The timing coincides with LEGO Friends reaching its fifteenth anniversary, making this launch part of an important year for the theme.

The Brick Fan reports that Pet Care & Play Center contains 366 pieces and costs $49.99, while Friendship Party Bus contains 676 pieces and costs $59.99. These figures give collectors a useful comparison between the two models in terms of build size and announced pricing. Friendship Party Bus also includes a Daisy mini-doll, a character Brickset connects with her appearance in the live-action Friends musical.

Heartlake City Shopping Mall has a different point of interest. Brickset identifies it as the fourth set to carry that name, establishing a direct connection with earlier shopping-center releases in the theme. For collectors familiar with the Friends lineup, that recurring location adds historical context to the new model.

What does this mean for collectors?

The three releases provide different ways to expand a LEGO Friends collection. Pet Care & Play Center is the animal-focused option, with several creatures and rearrangeable interior elements. Collectors interested in animal models or modular play spaces may find its combination of accessories and removable furnishings particularly relevant.

Friendship Party Bus stands apart through its double-decker vehicle design and the inclusion of Daisy. That mini-doll gives character collectors an additional reason to examine the set, while the pool and rooftop slide distinguish its play concept from conventional Friends buildings. Heartlake City Shopping Mall offers another kind of appeal: its fourth appearance under the same name makes it a recognizable continuation of the theme's established locations.

Rather than treating the three sets as interchangeable additions, collectors can compare their preferred subjects, character selections, and display requirements. Their January 2027 release also places them within the wider fifteenth-anniversary year of LEGO Friends, providing a useful reference point when organizing a collection by theme and release period.