Friends Advent Calendar 2026 — LEGO set 42698

Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗

Friends · SET 42698

Friends Advent Calendar 2026

The 2026 Friends Advent Calendar gathers characters and small builds for the Christmas season.

Pieces: 211
Release year: 2026
Theme: Friends
Set number: 42698
LEGO recommended age: 6+
LEGO retail price · Italy: 26.99 €

View on LEGO Italy Official building instructions

Available at LEGO Italy when checked on 28 October 2026. Availability can change. Check the store for the latest information.

Retail price reported by the LEGO source for the stated market. Check the store for current price and availability; this does not establish the launch price. LEGO ↗ · Reference checked on 28 October 2026

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Official English name verified at: LEGO English catalogue ↗ · Checked on 27 October 2026.

TIME TO BUILD

How long does it take to build Friends Advent Calendar 2026?

Individual build

A starting point for planning your build. Times for each experience level are editorial estimates, not measurements submitted by HowLongToBuild users.

Editorial estimate · first build

Beginner

≈ 1 h 15 minSuggested range45 min – 2 h

Intermediate

≈ 50 minSuggested range30 min – 1 h 20 min

Experienced

≈ 35 minSuggested range21 min – 56 min

Based on one person building the set for the first time, following the original instructions and using numbered bags where supplied. Includes normal piece-finding and minor adjustments; excludes long breaks, filming, dismantling and modifications. Sources may use different methods. This range is neither a statistical interval nor a limit: your build may take less or more time.

How we estimate times · sources and method

Editorial assessment of the first illustrated arrangement: The 2026 Friends Advent Calendar gathers characters and small builds for the Christmas season. The estimate adds up the builds and excludes the days between openings. A first build following the instructions, including normal piece finding; an adult may help when needed. Breaks and subsequent play are excluded. No verified timed build: indicative values with substantial variation.

Sources do not always specify the builder’s experience. The three experience bands are our editorial assessment, based on the complexity of the set and individual accounts where available.

LEGO · set-specific instructions ↗
Official name, pieces, age and imagery; no timed building data.
LEGO · set manual ↗
Document for this set number. The duration is an editorial estimate, not a LEGO timing.

Checked: 26 October 2026 · Method v1.0 · Limited reports; not a statistical average.

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BEYOND THE BRICKS

Did you know?

The model, the history, the ideas

Inside the set

Three friends for the holidays

Liann, Nova and Aliya are the calendar’s mini-dolls. The small builds let you create winter activities for them.

LEGO source

Animal guests

The surprises include a seal, a pony, a polar bear and a penguin, alongside festive accessories.

LEGO source

Beyond the set

The stories, places and inventions behind your build.

Giving the wait a daily rhythm

Traditional Advent calendars count from 1 December to Christmas Eve. The Library of Congress also presents them as objects to make and decorate, with pictures or messages behind openings.

Read the full story

Their appeal lies in a repeated daily gesture that makes anticipation visible, as well as in any final surprise.

Library of Congress

A tradition carried by colour printing

The Library of Congress connects Advent calendars with German advances in chromolithography, which made colour images less expensive to reproduce.

Read the full story

Illustrated objects helped a domestic custom circulate more widely. Their history belongs partly to graphic production and visual culture, alongside the seasonal tradition of opening a new window each day.

Library of Congress

Expanded stories updated on 29 October 2026

Written by HowLongToBuild · Sources are linked with each story · Checked on 27 October 2026. Historical facts and story details refer to the context described.

BEYOND THE BRICKS

Keep the story going

Films, series, books and music connected to this model or its universe.

TV series

LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter

2023

Another adventure in the same universe, for before or after your build.

Title on Netflix ↗Find streaming services · Italy ↗

Title search on JustWatch: choose the result matching the title and year above.

Streaming: Italian catalogue. Check availability, languages and terms on the external service. Searches are labelled; book results may include different editions.

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THE COMMUNITY’S EXPERIENCE

What was it like to build?

Three separate scores from 1 to 10. For difficulty, 1 means very easy and 10 means very difficult.

No approved ratings yet. Scores are never generated by this site or inferred from the recommended age.

Building tips from the community

Specific steps, useful checks and sticking points. Contributions appear after moderation, in their original language. Do not upload instruction pages or personal contact details.

No approved tips yet.

SET THE MOOD

A soundtrack for your build

· Selected for the subject and atmosphere

Voices and acoustic instruments suggest a sociable, lived-in scene. This follows the pleasure of inhabiting an environment rather than assigning music automatically by geography.

OUR PICK

Buena Vista Social Club

Rhythmic and lively

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Your listening moodChoose a different soundtrack

Editorial suggestions, not official soundtracks for the set. External services may require an account or subscription; editions and availability can vary by country. Suggest another soundtrack →

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