By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Pokémon fans who want to ‘catch ’em all’ should head to London’s Natural History Museum next year, site of an innovative pop-up shop.
As Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, fans in the United Kingdom will get the chance to explore a unique collaboration with one of the city’s most iconic institutions. The Natural History Museum has announced it will host an exclusive Pokémon pop-up shop early next year, blending pop culture with natural science in a first-of-its-kind partnership.
The partnership highlights the unusual but fitting overlap between Pokémon’s fictional ecosystem and the museum’s focus on biodiversity, adaptation and evolution. In the Pokémon universe, creatures evolve into new forms to survive and thrive in different environments.The museum’s collections demonstrate equally dramatic evolutionary processes in real life, with collections that span billions of years of life on Earth, from dinosaurs to modern mammals.
“There is such a wonderful alignment between Pokémon and the Natural History Museum,” said Adam Farrar, the Museum’s director of commercial and visitor experience. “We’re obviously both big fans of the natural world and its evolution and diversity.
“We hope this collaboration will spark joy and curiosity in the creatures around us, both in the world of Pokémon and Earth.”
The store will feature clothing, stationery, prints, accessories and an exclusive plush toy, all designed specifically for the collaboration.
The pop-up will be located in the Museum’s Cranbourne Boutique from January 26 through March 22, 2026. It marks Pokémon’s first collaboration with a UK museum, offering a mix of limited-edition merchandise inspired by both the animated creatures and the Museum’s architectural and scientific heritage.
Visitors will need to reserve a free timed-entry ticket online, with registration opening on October 1. Organizers expect high demand; after all it’s not every day you can get a ticket to “catch ’em all.”
The Pokémon Company says the product line at the pop-up shop draws inspiration from the museum’s architecture and historic naturalist illustrations. The merchandise will also be available online through the Natural History Museum’s ecommerce shop beginning in January, with a portion of sales supporting the institution’s scientific and educational mission.
“All profits from purchases, including Pokémon products, support the Museum’s charitable mission,” the Museum said in its announcement. That work includes funding for 400 scientists tackling issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change.
Mathieu Galante, senior director of licensing for Pokémon Europe, said the collaboration highlights Pokémon’s cross-generational appeal.
“Design inspiration has been drawn directly from the Natural History Museum’s iconic building and architecture, as well as the beautiful naturalist sketches that fill the Museum’s archives,” Galante said. “We are excited to be working with the Natural History Museum to create this fun pop-up store for fans of all ages.”
A selection of items will also be sold through the Pokémon Center UK online store.
Balancing Fun With an Educational Purpose
The Natural History Museum attracts more than 5 million visitors a year, making it one of the world’s most popular cultural institutions, and a prime source for research data and educational material. While some collaborations may raise a paleontologist’s eyebrows — like Pikachu posing alongside dinosaur skeletons — both partners stress that the goal is to connect entertainment with education.
“Pokémon has always been about curiosity, imagination and discovery,” Galante said. “When combined with the Museum’s mission to inspire advocates for the planet, it feels like a natural partnership.”
The Pokémon brand, launched in Japan in 1996, has become one of the top entertainment franchises in the world, spanning video games, trading cards, animation and consumer products. As it enters its fourth decade, the franchise continues to expand through collaborations that reach beyond gaming and into fashion, lifestyle and now cultural institutions.
For the Natural History Museum, the pop-up comes amid its own transformation. The museum is in the process of raising £150 million to revitalize galleries and expand its research facilities, with the goal of inspiring a new generation of visitors.
Tickets for the Pokémon x Natural History Museum pop-up shop will be available beginning October 1 at nhm.ac.uk. Entry is free, but slots are expected to go quickly. Much like the Pokemon games themselves, timing and strategy may be the key to catching this one-of-a-kind experience.