July 14, 2026
LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort passed 2 million guest visits in its first year, Merlin Entertainments announced on the park’s first anniversary, July 5, 2026. Merlin says the park is the fastest LEGOLAND resort worldwide to reach 2 million guests, with the highest first-year growth rate of any LEGOLAND. The resort opened July 5, 2025 in Shanghai’s Jinshan district as China’s first LEGOLAND and the largest in the world at opening, a roughly $550 million project spanning 318,000 square meters with eight lands, more than 75 rides, shows, and attractions, and a LEGO-themed hotel.
The Numbers
- More than 2 million guest visits in year one, the fastest any LEGOLAND resort has reached that mark, per Merlin.
- Families with children account for over 80% of guests.
- Nearly 60,000 guests celebrated birthdays at the resort in its first year.
- More than 230,000 LEGO minifigures sold, nearly a quarter of them custom-designed by guests.
- Eight Creative Workshops hosted over 8,000 sessions with more than 170,000 participants.
- Merlin says the annual pass base came in above expectations and that ticket revenue and in-park spending have reached a balanced mix.
- 20% of employees are local Jinshan residents.
What Merlin Says Year One Proves
“LEGOLAND Shanghai delivered a very strong first year, ranking the top in both visitor numbers and guests satisfaction among LEGOLAND Resorts globally,” said John Jakobsen, Chief Strategic Portfolio Development Officer at Merlin Entertainments. “This not only confirms the huge potential of China’s family market, but also gives us strong confidence in the vitality of China’s cultural tourism market. China represents a key pillar of our Merlin Entertainments growth strategy. Going forward, we will deliver even richer play experiences to Chinese families.”
Merlin Entertainments, which went private in a roughly $6 billion deal completed in 2019, operates the LEGOLAND parks alongside its Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE, and other attraction brands. Shanghai was its first LEGOLAND in China, funded with partners including the Shanghai Jinshan Urban Investment Group, KIRKBI, and CMC.
Where the Repeat Visits Come From
Merlin’s release leans hard on repeat visitation. The company says the guest base has broadened beyond the core Yangtze River Delta market to long-distance visitors from Beijing, Guangdong, Shandong, and other regions, and that repeat visits have risen steadily. The merchandise program leans on personalization, with nearly a quarter of the more than 230,000 minifigures sold custom-designed by guests, plus a commemorative Brick Passport designed as a keepsake. Food follows the same IP logic, from the LEGO Brick Burger to the LEGOLAND souvenir popcorn bucket.
The release also emphasizes parent-child play. Collaborative activities like Tower Climb Tournaments, Fire Academy, and LEGO NINJAGO The Ride encourage families to play together, per Merlin, and the Creative Workshops run a learn-through-play curriculum spanning building, mechanical principles, and basic programming. The globally exclusive LEGO Monkie Kid themed zone has remained highly popular since opening, per the company, which points to it as an example of the park’s fusion of LEGO with local culture.
The family-first positioning lands in the same young-family demographic Universal is targeting with Universal Kids Resort.
What Comes Next
The resort launched the Play and Grow Program on July 5, a long-term initiative giving children in need access to play-based development programs, and says it will deepen school partnerships into a regular model combining innovation, study tours, and park visits. A 2.7-meter birthday cake built entirely of LEGO bricks marked the anniversary at LEGO Plaza, with representatives from the Shanghai Municipal Government, Jinshan District Government, New Jinshan Investment Holding Group, the LEGO Group, and Merlin in attendance.
“We look forward to bringing LEGO’s creativity and joy to life right here, growing together with Jinshan, bringing every family closer through play,” said Jeanette Chen, General Manager of LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort.
