Four licensed Pokémon advent calendars are on shelves for Christmas 2026: the TCG Holiday Calendar at $49.99, the Bandai calendar with its 16 figures, the Funko Bitty Pop and the MEGA building set around 30 euros or dollars. No 2026 edition of the card calendar has been announced: the one in stores is the 2025 print run.
We went through all four, box by box, with the actual contents and the prices we could verify. Because between listings promising "24 Funko figures" when the box holds 10, and pages titled "2026 edition" selling last year's stock, this aisle needs a proper sorting out.
What is inside the Pokémon TCG Holiday Calendar?
The Holiday Calendar is the advent calendar for card players: 25 doors, a Pokémon TCG surprise behind each one. The listed contents are 8 foil cards with a festive stamp, 6 booster packs, 7 three-card fun packs, 2 coins and 2 sticker sheets, plus a code card for Pokémon TCG Live. The fun packs hold three common cards each, one of them a reverse holo.
The 8 stamped cards set a wintry tone: a 270 HP Glaceon ex leads the lineup, joined by Articuno, Crabominable, Eevee, Pikachu, Delibird, Cryogonal and Vanillish, whose special illustration shows an ice cream stand in the snow. The box art gathers the whole crew around a campfire, Articuno soaring above. If the ice bird is your favourite Legendary, we also engrave it in 3D inside a LED Articuno Poké Ball on a wooden base, which keeps glowing long after December 24th.
Price-wise, the US edition costs $49.99. In Europe, the French-language box, sold as "Calendrier des fêtes", runs between 54.99 and 59.99 euros depending on the store. Check the language on the box before buying: the promo cards are identical, but a deck or a binder is happier when everything matches. The age rating is 6 and up.
Is there a 2026 edition of the Holiday Calendar?
No, not as of today. On September 14, 2026, The Pokémon Company has not announced a new Holiday Calendar, even though the three previous editions all shipped in late August or early September: September 1, 2023, August 23, 2024, August 22, 2025. The calendar on shelves this year is therefore the 2025 print run, the one starring Glaceon, Crabominable and Articuno.
So be careful with pages titled "Pokémon TCG advent calendar 2026": they are selling the 2025 edition, when they are not describing a product that does not exist. That is not a dealbreaker, the 8 stamped cards cannot be found anywhere else, but you should know it before paying.
Why the silence? Pokémon's 30th anniversary year is filling the entire TCG schedule: the 30th Anniversary expansion launched worldwide on September 16, the Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Battle Decks land on October 30 and the Ultra-Premium Collections on November 6. We keep the full list updated in our guide to the Pokémon 30th anniversary products. A late announcement remains possible, but every passing week makes it less likely.
What are the alternatives: Bandai figures, Funko Bitty Pop or MEGA bricks?
Three other licensed calendars cover kids who do not play the card game yet. Each one targets a different profile, and none of them contains chocolate: it is toys from the first door to the last.
The Bandai calendar packs 24 gifts: 16 figures of 5 cm with a special holiday finish and 8 accessories, 58 pieces in total according to the box. Pikachu, Charmander, Spheal and Fidough parade through a Christmas train scene. Sold around 49.99 euros in Europe, compatible with the maker's Battle figures line, ages 4 and up. It is the most generous of the four in pure toys.
The Funko Bitty Pop deserves a clarification: the box shows 24 doors, but the exact count printed on it is 10 vinyl figures of roughly 0.9 inch, 7 pieces of a buildable holiday tree, 3 holiday accessories, 2 magnetic cases and 2 keychain cases. Listings promising 24 figures are off by a factor of two and a half. Around $48, or 30 to 33 euros, and it is the only one of the four with a dated 2026 edition, item 92307 at Funko. A display piece for collectors more than a child's toy.
The MEGA set by Mattel plays the building card: 202 pieces split across 24 numbered bags, with two poseable figures to assemble, Pikachu and Piplup, and holiday scenery compatible with other MEGA sets. Around 29.99 euros or dollars, rated 6 and up. The right pick for a kid who would rather build than line up figures.
Which Pokémon advent calendar should you choose?
The right calendar depends on the recipient, not the brand. A TCG player will be disappointed by figures, a five-year-old has no use for stamped promo cards. Here is the full comparison, prices checked in September 2026.
| Calendar | Contents | Age | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCG Holiday Calendar | 25 doors: 8 stamped foil cards, 6 boosters, 7 three-card fun packs, 2 coins, 2 sticker sheets | 6+ | $49.99 / €55-60 |
| Bandai figures | 24 gifts: 16 figures of 5 cm with holiday finish, 8 accessories | 4+ | about €49.99 |
| Funko Bitty Pop | 24 doors: 10 mini figures of 0.9 in, buildable tree, magnetic and keychain cases | collectors | $48 / €30-33 |
| MEGA building set | 24 bags: 202 pieces, poseable Pikachu and Piplup to build | 6+ | about €29.99 |
Prices checked in September 2026 at US and European retailers. They vary from store to store, the contents do not.
Our honest take: for a kid discovering Pokémon, the Bandai at 4, the MEGA at 6. For a card player, the Holiday Calendar without hesitation, it is the only one whose contents keep value after the holidays. The Funko is a gift for an adult who displays. And in the same price range as the 30-euro calendars, an LED Eevee Poké Ball on a wooden base at 29.99 euros makes a gift that works all year, not just for 24 days: Glaceon, the star of the TCG calendar, is one of its evolutions.
Where to buy one, and when?
At the usual toy retailers and TCG shops; in the US, the Holiday Calendar has also shipped through Pokémon Center and big-box stores in past years. Our advice, learned from tracking Pokémon products all year round: buy before mid-November. Licensed calendars sell through in waves, and a calendar out of stock in early December quickly resells above list price. Paying $80 for a $50 product is the yearly trap.
Three checks before paying: the card language for the TCG box (the French box reads "Calendrier des fêtes", the US one "Holiday Calendar"), the actual print year behind a "2026" title, and the exact figure count for the Funko. None of that shows in listing photos.
At Pokéled we do not sell any advent calendar: our craft is the light-up crystal Poké Ball. This comparison exists because the question comes back every autumn, like the one about the Polaroid Pokémon cameras released for the 30th anniversary. And if the gift you are after should glow in a bedroom rather than sit in a binder, our light-up Poké Ball collection stays open all winter.
Frequently asked questions about Pokémon advent calendars
How much does the Pokémon TCG Holiday Calendar cost?
The US edition lists at $49.99. In Europe, the French-language box runs between 54.99 and 59.99 euros depending on the store, with a suggested price of 55.99 euros. Same contents on both sides of the Atlantic: 25 doors, 8 stamped promo cards, 6 boosters, 7 fun packs, 2 coins and 2 sticker sheets.
Which language are the cards in?
It depends on the box. The US and UK Holiday Calendar contains English cards, the "Calendrier des fêtes" sold in France contains French cards, and a German-language box exists as well. The 8 stamped promo cards are the same in every language, festive stamp included, so pick the language of your binder or deck.
Is there any chocolate in Pokémon advent calendars?
No. None of the four licensed calendars contains any: they hold cards, figures, bricks or accessories from the first door to the last. For a kid expecting a daily chocolate, plan a second classic calendar alongside, or pick one from another brand entirely.
What age are Pokémon advent calendars for?
The Bandai calendar is rated 4 and up, the MEGA set and the TCG Holiday Calendar 6 and up. The Funko Bitty Pop, with its 0.9-inch figures, is really aimed at teen and adult collectors: pieces too small for a young child, and limited play value.
Is the 2025 Holiday Calendar still worth it for Christmas 2026?
Yes. With no 2026 edition announced, the 2025 print run remains the only Pokémon card advent calendar available, and its 8 stamped cards, including the 270 HP Glaceon ex, appear in no other product. Just make sure you pay list price, around $49.99 or 55 euros, not the inflated tag of a December shortage.
Which Pokémon appear in the TCG Holiday Calendar?
The stamped promo cards show Glaceon ex, Articuno, Crabominable, Eevee, Pikachu, Delibird, Cryogonal and Vanillish. The box art adds Mamoswine, Alcremie and more snow Pokémon around a campfire. The two coins feature Pikachu in gold and Alcremie in pink.
Image credits: Asmodee France and The Pokémon Company (Calendrier des fêtes visuals and contents), PokeBeach and TPCi (US Holiday Calendar box), Bandai and Jazwares, Funko, Mattel (calendar packshots).
