A Bluey Kind of Day Out

Celebrities including: Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two star Janette Manrara; Wonka actor and comedian Tom Davis; JLS singer JB Gill and his wife Chloe Gill; and reality TV star Amy Hart (Love Island – ITV2) joined to celebrate the launch of Summer with Bluey, which is rolling out across all John Lewis Stores nationwide from 2nd August. 

BBC Studios hosted the fun-filled VIP family event at The 1864 Rooftop Bar & Kitchen at John Lewis’ flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, bringing the beloved world of Bluey to life through a range of playful experiences inspired by this year’s brand theme for Bluey, ‘Let’s Play Chef’. 

The launch event welcomed a star-studded lineup of celebrity and influencer families to an immersive celebration of the charming and playful world of the iconic animated TV series, Bluey.

TV and radio broadcaster Anna Williamson (Celebs Go Dating -Channel 4), Absolute Radio host Dave Berry; journalist, newsreader and presenter Tina Daheley (The Scott Mills Breakfast Show – BBC Radio 2); and stand-up comedian Lindsey Santoro (Stand-Up Specials – BBC Radio 4) were also among the guests enjoying hands-on activities, themed entertainment and a ‘Bluey Book Read For Real Life’ read by JLS’ singer, TV presenter and Farmer JB Gill (Cooking With The Gills – Channel 5). 

Event highlights included appearances and photo opportunities with Bluey and Bingo, a Bluey LEGO ‘Duck Cake Make & Take’, a Bluey-themed juice bar, and biscuit and chef hat decorating.

The event also featured product showcases where guests could experience ‘Let’s Play Chef’ themed product lines, such as Moose Toys’ Bluey Supermarket playset, 8th Wonder’s Pizza Girls Set, Orchard Toys’ Bluey Shopping List Game and the new BBQ Storybook from Penguin Random House. Bluey products are available to purchase in-store, online, and via the John Lewis app. John Lewis also has a dedicated Summer of Bluey web page to guide customers through the full Bluey product range and details on all the Bluey activities. 

Families visiting John Lewis stores this August can take part in a Bluey-themed treasure hunt, with a free gift for participants and a chance to enter a prize draw. Over this period, kids can eat free at all 32 John Lewis ‘Place to Eat’ cafés (with every adult meal purchased) and enjoy Bluey-branded lunch bags, fun activity sheets and a Bingo Babycino. 

Selected stores will also host special character meet-and-greets with Bluey, these are pre-bookable (add link) alongside exclusive LEGO Duck Cake “make and take” workshops, ensuring a fun-filled shopping experience for fans of all ages. 

Fans can also visit the flagship Oxford Street store to marvel at impressive Bluey and Bingo Big Brick Builds, built using 29,224 LEGO bricks and 5,306 LEGO DUPLO elements, respectively. The pair took 190 hours to build and will be displayed in the dedicated Bluey toy area within this store.

“We are thrilled to bring this wonderful partnership to families across the UK this summer,” says Katie Hibbs, Senior Marketing Manager at BBC Studios. “This was the perfect opportunity to bring our ‘Let’s Play Chef’ Bluey theme to fans and showcase the toy lines it has inspired, while also including other exciting new Bluey products such as LEGO and DUPLO.”

Rosie Hanley, Brand Director at John Lewis adds: “We know how much families adore Bluey, so these events across our stores this summer are all about creating joyful, shared experiences with loved ones which is something we are so excited about. Whether it’s building with LEGO, solving clues in our treasure hunts, or meeting Bluey and Bingo in person, we can’t wait to bring the Bluey magic to life at John Lewis.”