The Pokémon Company announced on October 21, 2026 that a permanent, physical Pokémon store will open in London by 2029. It will be the first permanent store for the brand outside Asia, and the first of several planned worldwide. The location, the name and the exact opening date have not been revealed yet.
European fans have been queuing outside temporary Pokémon shops for years, and this time it is written in plain words on pokemon.com: London is getting a Pokémon store for good. I read the announcement, traced the full history of the London pop-ups and counted the existing Pokémon Center locations to put this news in context. Here is what we know, what is still missing, and what it means in practice if you live on this side of the Channel.
What exactly did The Pokémon Company announce for London?
The announcement published on October 21, 2026 on pokemon.com describes a permanent physical store in London, opening "by 2029", with exclusive merchandise and experiences designed for Trainers of all ages. It is the first permanent location for the brand outside Asia, presented as the first of several.
The statement is deliberately short. No address, no floor space, no render of the shop: just the promise, and a quote from Gaku Susai, Chief Product and Experience Officer at The Pokémon Company International: "We are always exploring new opportunities that help us create unique and memorable experiences for our fans. This new London store will give visitors the chance to step into the world of Pokémon, whether they're discovering the brand for the first time or have been Trainers for years."
"Exclusive" is not an empty word here: every Pokémon Center carries its own products, unavailable anywhere else, and that is exactly what made the previous London runs such a frenzy. The 2019 London City Pikachu plush, bowler hat and suit included, sold out before 2pm on most days.
Will the London store be called Pokémon Center?
Nothing confirms it so far. The October 21, 2026 announcement talks about a "Pokémon retail destination" and "the London store", without ever using the Pokémon Center name. Yet the permanent stores in Asia and every London pop-up have carried that name.
That detail jumped out at me: when the same company brands its upcoming Thai store "Pokémon Center BANGKOK", complete with a logo and a signature Pokémon, and carefully avoids the term for London, it is either a very early announcement made before the branding work, or a sign of a different concept. The Pokémon Company promises more information "in the future". Until then, I will stick to the facts: no name announced, no location either, and "by 2029" leaves three years of leeway.
Which Pokémon stores has London already hosted?
Five temporary operations in seven years, every one of them stormed. The 2019 Westfield pop-up remains the benchmark: over 30,000 visitors according to British press reports, queues that stretched up to five hours, and an entry line closed three hours after opening on day one because of demand.
| Period | Location | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 18 to Nov 15, 2019 | Westfield London, Shepherd's Bush | first UK Pokémon Center pop-up, London City Pikachu plush |
| Aug 18 to 21, 2022 | ExCeL, World Championships | virtual ticketing, Pikachu and Roserade beefeater plush |
| Apr 4 to 7, 2024 | ExCeL, Europe International Championships | return with reservations |
| February 2025 | ExCeL, Europe International Championships | same formula, reservation required |
| Jan 26 to Mar 22, 2026 | Natural History Museum | first pop-up in a UK museum, for the 30th anniversary |
| by 2029 | to be announced | first permanent store outside Asia |
A return had been announced for 2020, riding on the Westfield success. It never happened: the pandemic swept away the London World Championships, and the pop-up with them. Fans had to wait for the August 2022 Worlds at ExCeL to see another store, this time with a virtual queueing system born from the lessons of 2019.
The latest chapter played in a different register: from January 26 to March 22, 2026, the brand took over the Natural History Museum for the 30th anniversary, with free timed tickets, proceeds going to the museum's charitable mission, and an exclusive plush shaped like the building itself. No trading cards on sale, a deliberate choice to keep scalpers at bay.
How big is the Pokémon store network worldwide?
There are 25 active Pokémon Center stores in 2026, 23 of them in Japan. Outside the archipelago, two permanent stores exist: Singapore, opened on April 11, 2019 inside Jewel Changi Airport, and Taipei, opened on December 8, 2023. Bangkok joins the list in December 2026, which makes London the first location outside Asia.
Bangkok gives a good idea of what London can expect: a full floor of the centralWorld mall, a signature Pokémon of its own (Shaymin, alongside Pikachu) and the stated ambition of being the largest Pokémon store outside Japan. Asia is the testing ground; Europe gets the formula once it is proven.
There is also a precedent many have forgotten: the Pokémon Center New York, opened at Rockefeller Center on November 16, 2001 and closed on January 19, 2005, before being reborn as Nintendo World. By the time the London store opens, the West will have gone almost a quarter of a century without a permanent Pokémon shop. The timing is no accident: the Pokémon 30th anniversary year is breaking search and merchandise records, and European demand has never been this visible.
What does it change for fans in Europe?
Quite a lot, because large parts of Europe remain a blank zone for Pokémon Center merchandise: the online store launched in the UK in December 2021, later extended to Germany, does not deliver to France and most neighbouring countries. A permanent store in London, 2 hours 15 minutes from Paris by train, will become the closest physical access point for many continental collectors.
London is turning into the European capital of the franchise. The first Pokémon Night Out concert with Marshmello lands at the O2 on November 10, 2026, the Natural History Museum had its pop-up, and the permanent store will lock it all in. For a European fan, a London trip now ticks several boxes at once.
While waiting for 2029, the taste for exclusive display pieces travels well. That is the same logic behind an Eevee crystal Poké Ball with 3D engraving and LED base at 29.99 euros: a shelf piece you will not find in every Trainer's bedroom. Dragon fans have their counterpart with the Dragonite Poké Ball on a light-up wooden base, at the same price.
I will keep this article updated as soon as the location, the name or the opening date are announced. And if you like Pokémon objects that light up without crossing the Channel, the light-up Poké Ball collection can be browsed from your sofa.
Image credits: The Pokémon Company (announcement artwork, stores and plush), Natural History Museum, London. Sources: pokemon.com (October 21, 2026 announcement), Nintendo Life, Video Games Chronicle, Time Extension, Khaosod English.
