I flew the Star Wars Death Star trench run on the Sphere in a Lego X-Wing — and nothing else comes close
Plus, we catch up with Jaxson Dart on his love for Star Wars
· TechRadarNews By Jacob Krol published 8 January 2026
(Image credit: Brian Friedman/Sphere Entertainment ) Share Share by:
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The Sphere in Las Vegas has already hosted a run of immersive concerts, films, and experiences inside its walls. But on the outside, its massive Exosphere screen has largely been reserved for abstract visuals or eye-catching brand takeovers. That changed during CES 2026.
Through a collaboration between Disney, Lucasfilm, Lego, and Sphere Studios, timed to celebrate Lego’s newly unveiled Smart Play system, the Sphere’s exterior went somewhere no other part of the venue ever has before. I don’t think it will ever be topped.
The Sphere was transformed into a Lego Death Star, and taking it one step further, I experienced one of the most surreal moments of my career: flying the Star Wars Death Star trench run from a life-size, partially brick-built Lego X-Wing mounted directly in front of it, with the Sphere acting as the ultimate screen for Lego Star Wars.
Ironically, Lego’s new Smart Brick lacks a screen for play – that's part of its ingenuity. However, this moment felt like a celebration of imagination at scale, proof of what happens when Lego’s physical creativity is paired with a canvas as massive as the Sphere.
Approaching from the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, the takeover was impossible to miss. Lego Star Wars Minifigures of Luke, Leia, Darth Vader, and more flashed across the Sphere, surrounded by waves of tumbling bricks. But as I turned the corner, I spotted the real piece de resistance, even before seeing the other side of the Sphere: a life-size Lego X-Wing.
Soon enough, I pulled on a helmet and watched as the X-Wing’s front hood swung forward and the cockpit door opened, revealing my seat inside. In front of me was a single flight arm with a trigger, along with a screen for selecting a character and starting the experience. But the real spectacle was straight ahead, visible through the clear cockpit window, with the Death Star basically filling my entire field of view. If I wanted to, I could watch the cockpit screen as well, but why?
I started alongside an array of other X-Wings, my Rebel colleagues, if you will, before TIE Fighters began to approach as we flew closer to the floating battle station. What followed was every Star Wars fan’s dream trench run, played out on an absolutely massive scale.
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