Pokémon 30th Anniversary TCG: Confirmed Sets, Products and UK Release Dates

The Pokémon Trading Card Game turned 30 in 2026, and the centrepiece is one English expansion: 30th Celebration, released in the UK on 16 September 2026 alongside the rest of the world. Its products have arrived in monthly waves from September to November. This page covers only what The Pokémon Company has confirmed, and says plainly where a date is a month rather than a day.

The 30th Celebration expansion

What makes it different is the pack itself. Every card in a 30th Celebration booster is foil, and every pack holds one of 30 Pikachu rares, each drawn in a different style. That makes the Pikachu set the obvious first binder page for most collectors, and it is attainable in a way the top rares are not.

The Classic Collection reprints 30 cards from the game's past, Base Set Charizard among them, in foil. These are new prints with their own place in the set, not old cards. Do not price one against an original 1999 copy.

The top of the set is a new rarity. The Pokémon Company calls it the Futuristic rare: two cards, Mewtwo ex and Mew ex, drawn by the artist YOSHIROTTEN, who also drew the set's Basic Energy. Beyond those sit over 20 illustration rares and special illustration rares, many built around a day-and-night theme with Espeon and Umbreon.

For set details and its sealed products, see our 30th Celebration set page.

Products and UK months

The official UK showcase gives a month for each product, not a day, so that is what we show. Each linked product has its own page with us. We do not have stock yet, so those pages explain the product rather than sell it.

Pokémon Center UK has posted a notice of delays to some UK orders (updated 12 October 2026) without naming a cause. If you ordered there, check your order page rather than the showcase month.

What Japan released

Japan launched its version on the same day, 16 September 2026, as the MEGA expansion pack "30th CELEBRATION" at ¥360 a pack. The official Japanese site lists three products that day and more a month later.

• The expansion pack, six foil cards a pack, each with one Pikachu and one Basic Energy.
• A Premium Deck Set built around Espeon and Umbreon, ¥6,200.
• A Futuristic Box sold through Pokémon Center Online in Japan, ¥27,500.
• Nine starter-trio card sets, such as Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, on 16 October 2026 at ¥1,200 each.

Japanese packs are not the English set in another language. The card counts and pack contents differ, so treat Japanese 30th Celebration cards as their own cards when you value them. Our guide to Japanese and English cards explains the differences.

Online play

30th Celebration went live in Pokémon TCG Live at launch, and its anniversary Battle Pass runs to 5 November 2026.

What comes next

The next English expansion is Mega Evolution: Delta Reign, due on 6 November 2026. It is a separate set and is not marketed as part of the anniversary. Dates for that and everything after it live on our release calendar, which we keep current.

Collector notes

• Pull the Pikachu rares first. At one per pack, a full run of 30 is a realistic goal, and it is the part of the set most people will want to finish.
• Do not confuse Classic Collection reprints with originals. The set name and number on the card settle it. Our guide to first edition and shadowless cards covers what the 1999 prints look like.
• New-set prices move fast. Sold prices in the first months after release are rarely where they settle. If you want to know what a card is worth, read how to value Pokémon cards before you buy or sell.