Friends

Heartlake City Music Talent Show

A little stage with real showbiz drama, gears and all.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 42616 · 2024

Pieces670

Minifigs4

Year2024

Set number42616

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The verdict

This one won me over faster than I expected, mostly because of the two little gear functions that make the drummer and keyboard player actually move while they perform.

It is a proper play set, built for a kid to run a whole talent show on a coffee table, and the grown-up Andrea coming back as a judge is a sweet touch for anyone who has followed Friends over the years. My honest caveat is the price, because 670 pieces for the original 64.99 asks a bit much. If you want a playable, character-rich Friends stage and can grab it below RRP, it is an easy yes.

Best for: Kids aged 7 and up who love acting out shows and music play

The full review

What it is

The Heartlake City Music Talent Show is a compact stage-and-backstage play set built around one simple, lovely idea: let a kid run their own televised talent show. You get a performance stage, a little backstage hangout, and a judge's desk out front, and the whole thing is designed to be fussed over and replayed rather than parked on a shelf. What got me was how much life the designers packed into such a small footprint. Ley-La is the singer, Nabil is on drums, Alexander plays keyboard, and grown-up Andrea sits at the judge's desk pressing buttons to pick the winner. If you have watched Friends evolve, seeing Andrea come back as an adult judge is a genuinely warm little wink.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the value, because it is the one thing that keeps this from being a slam dunk. At 670 pieces for a 64.99 launch price, you are paying partly for the play features and the four mini-dolls rather than sheer brick volume, and the finished stage is small once it is all together. Adult builders looking for an involved sit-down build or something display-worthy will find this on the light and simple side, and it wraps up in an hour or two. It is also very clearly pitched at the 7-and-up crowd, so the build itself is gentle rather than clever.

Who it's for

Who should get it: a kid who loves acting out shows, making up characters, and staging little dramas, because this set hands them a ready-made cast and a stage with working gimmicks. It is also a nice pickup for Friends fans who want the returning Andrea. Who should skip it: collectors chasing detail, and anyone who measures a set purely by parts per dollar, because on that math alone it does not shine. Since it has now retired, the deciding factor is really price. Find it under RRP and it is a warm, playable little set.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this is a quick, friendly job rather than a technical puzzle, and that is by design. The two standout moments are the gear functions: you assemble small mechanisms under the drummer and keyboard player so that a turn of a knob makes them bob and play, and watching those click together is the most satisfying part of the whole build. There is also a rotating platform for Ley-La's entrance, which is a smart little bit of engineering hidden in a set meant for seven-year-olds. Most of the rest is straightforward stacking and clipping, so an hour or two sees it done.

Parts-wise this leans into the bright Friends palette, with the printed pieces doing a lot of the storytelling. You get printed music and decor elements, instrument accessories for the drum kit and keyboard, and the mini-doll pieces themselves, which are always the real draw in these sets. The four mini-dolls (Ley-La, Nabil, Alexander, and the returning adult Andrea) are all unique to this set, so for collectors of Friends characters they are the main reason to buy. It is not a set you raid for rare Technic gears or exotic recolors, but the accessory count is generous and kid-friendly.

Fun facts

01The set brings back Andrea, one of the original 2012 Friends characters, reimagined as a grown-up talent show judge.
02It released in late 2023 for the 2024 line and retired at the end of 2024, giving it a fairly short shelf life.
03Two separate gear mechanisms drive the drummer and keyboard player, letting them move on their own mini-stages while they perform.