Pokémon's 30th anniversary: When is it and what to expect

This year, on Pokémon Day 2026, we're set to celebrate 30 whole years since Pokémon was first unleashed upon the world, and The Pokémon Company has some big plans to celebrate.

We're set to see collaborations, crossovers and more across the games, TCG and anime, so there's bound to be something for everyone.

So, if you're looking forward to celebrating Pokémon's 30th anniversary too, here's what you need to know about when it takes place and what you have to look forward to.

When is Pokémon's 30th anniversary? Pokémon Day 2026 confirmed

Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary on 27th February 2026, otherwise known as Pokémon Day.

This date marks the anniversary of Pokémon Red and Green first releasing for the Game Boy back in 1996.

Since then, Pokémon has gone on to become one of, if not the biggest franchise in gaming, spawning endless spinoffs into film and TV, a card game and much more.

What to expect from Pokémon's 30th anniversary

On New Year's Day 2026, official Pokémon social media channels posted a teaser for this year's Pokémon Day, featuring Pikachu's original, chubbier design.

The caption, translated from Japanese, teases that "this year is going to be the best one yet," confirming that there's plenty in store.

As for specifics, dataminers have found references in the Brazilian version of Pokémon Masters to a Pokémon Presents showcase set to take place on 27th February.

The stream will reportedly begin at 11am BRT, which translates to 2pm GMT.

While this has not been confirmed, it's pretty much just a confirmation of what we already expected, as there's a Pokémon Presents on Pokémon Day pretty much every year anyway.

What we don't know, however, is what's going to be shown at this Pokémon Presents, but we have some guesses.

The first major expectation players have, is that Generation 10 games will finally be announced, following a huge leak in October that alluded to 'Pokémon Winds and Waves'.

Aside from that, we do at least have one confirmed Pokémon game on the way, with Animal Crossing-like Pokémon Pokopia arriving in March.

Beyond that, Pokémon has already confirmed collaborations with several major companies, including clothing brands like Adidas and Uniqlo, new Pokémon LEGO sets, and limited-edition Pokémon TCG cards available in McDonald's Happy Meals.

There's sure to be plenty more where that came from, but for now, it looks like we're going to have to wait for Pokémon Day 2026 to find out the rest.

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