If you’re based in the UK and constantly wish there was a physical Pokemon Center store, you’ll want to set some time aside, as a pop-up is coming to London once more.
The UK finally got a Pokemon Center back in 2021, but much like in the US, it’s online only. Occasionally, though, we get some physical pop-ups, and this coming April, a pop-up Pokemon Center is making its way to London once again alongside the 2024 Pokemon Europe International Championships. Like previous years, the event is being hosted at ExCel London, from April 4-7, and lucky for you, you don’t actually need a ticket to the event to go to the pop-up. Unlucky for you, though, is that as noted by The Pokemon Company itself, you’ll need to make a reservation to even attend the pop-up, whether you have a badge or not.
Apparently “additional details on how to make a reservation for Pokemon Center will be announced closer to the event” so keep your eyes peeled if you’re desperate to go and pick up some merchandise of your favourite pocket monsters. It’s also worth noting that these pop-ups have been incredibly busy at previous events, meaning you should prepare yourself for long queues, sold-out items, and way too many people clamouring over Pikachu. There will be International Championships-exclusive products there, on top of some bits they already sell on the online store, so that’s worth keeping in mind too – a “sneak peek” will be shown off on Pokemon’s social channels over the next few weeks, too.
Typically the exclusive merch for the Pokemon Center UK pop-ups have featured various themed Pikachus, which have been so popular that limitations on how many you can purchase have been placed, which The Pokemon Company notes may also be the case this time around. Sorry, eBay scammers, no scamming for you this time.