Pokémon Happy Meal 2026 UK: dates, past cards and what's confirmed
As of 19 October 2026. There is no official UK date for Pokémon cards in the Happy Meal in 2026 — and no official date anywhere else either. Neither McDonald's nor The Pokémon Company has announced a 30th-anniversary card promotion. The outlets covering it — Dexerto and Attractions Magazine (28 September), Kotaku (28 September), Journal du Geek in France (30 September and 6 October) — all say they are working from leaks, not from an announcement. So this page starts with what can be checked: how the UK fared in past waves, what the last McDonald's Pokémon card list contained, and how Japan's promotion differs. The unofficial dates sit in a separate "Rumours" section further down.
Cover: McDonald's official banner from the previous promotion, Dragon Discovery (2024–2025). There is no 2026 artwork yet; we will replace it as soon as McDonald's publishes one.
Pokémon Happy Meal UK: when previous waves arrived
The UK has been both the first and the last stop in Europe:
| Year and set | UK dates | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2021, 25th Anniversary | from 19 May 2021 | Bulbapedia |
| 2022, Match Battle | from 3 August 2022 — the first country that year | Bulbapedia |
| 2023, Match Battle | from 23 August 2023 | Bulbapedia, Nintendo Life |
| 2024 set, Dragon Discovery | 14 May – 17 June 2025 | Bulbapedia (citing Metro), Nintendo Wire |
In the most recent wave the UK came almost six months after France, which started on 4 December 2024; Germany and the US followed in January 2025 and Poland in April 2025 (Bulbapedia, PokéWiki, McDonald's Polska press release of 25 April 2025). So a date in one country says little about the next one.
Is the Pokémon Happy Meal still available? Not in the UK: the last wave ended on 17 June 2025, and as of 19 October 2026 no new one has been announced. What the Happy Meal holds right now is tracked in our Happy Meal toys right now page — Pokémon will go there as soon as McDonald's names a date.
How McDonald's Pokémon cards work
Every wave since 2021 has used the same format: a mini booster of four Pokémon TCG cards per Happy Meal, one of them with McDonald's "confetti" holofoil. The cards are reprints from regular sets, but with their own set symbol and numbering (001/015 and so on), so collectors treat them as separate cards (Bulbapedia).
| Wave | Cards | What stood out |
|---|---|---|
| 2021, 25th Anniversary | 25 | each card in a non-holo and a holo version — 50 to chase |
| 2022 and 2023, Match Battle | 15 each | a spinner-and-coin game comparing the numbers on the cards |
| 2024–2025, Dragon Discovery | 15 | Dragon-themed; seven holo cards |
McDonald's Pokémon card list 2025 (Dragon Discovery)
Searches for the 2025 card list mean this set — catalogued as McDonald's Collection 2024 because France got it in December 2024. Numbering per Bulbapedia; the seven holos are the Scarlet & Violet reprints (Bulbapedia, ComicBook.com).
| No. | Pokémon | Holo |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Charizard | — |
| 002 | Pikachu | yes |
| 003 | Miraidon | yes |
| 004 | Jigglypuff | — |
| 005 | Hatenna | — |
| 006 | Dragapult | — |
| 007 | Quagsire | — |
| 008 | Koraidon | yes |
| 009 | Umbreon | — |
| 010 | Hydreigon | yes |
| 011 | Roaring Moon | yes |
| 012 | Dragonite | yes |
| 013 | Eevee | — |
| 014 | Rayquaza | — |
| 015 | Drampa | yes |
Japan is a different promotion
The "McDonald's Pikachu card" people search for comes from Japan. In August 2025 the Japanese Happy Set included two cards, one of them always Pikachu. The promotion was planned for three days and was stopped after the first, because resellers bought sets by the dozen and dumped the food; McDonald's Japan apologised on 11 August 2025 (Il Post, 14 August 2025; Kotaku, 28 September 2026). For the 30th anniversary, Japan ran 12 Pokémon Happy Set toys from 7 August 2026 — with no cards this time (Essential Japan, 3 August 2026; Siliconera, 4 August 2026).
Not the same as 30th Celebration
Happy Meal cards are McDonald's promos, not part of the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration expansion. That set came out on 16 September 2026 with 199 cards and is sold only inside products — our 30th Celebration set guide works out which product gives the cheapest pack.
Rumours (not confirmed)
Unconfirmed. Reports only, each with its source and date. This section will be rewritten as soon as McDonald's or The Pokémon Company announces or denies the promotion.
- US, 5 November – 9 December 2026. First reported by PokéBeach in late September 2026 and picked up by Dexerto and Attractions Magazine (28 September 2026). Attractions Magazine notes that PokéBeach itself calls the information preliminary.
- Format. 15 cards; a four-card booster per Happy Meal with one holo; six cards in confetti holofoil; a choice of a Pokémon toy or a Pokémon Essential Handbook alongside the booster (PokéBeach via Dexerto, 28 September 2026).
- Other countries, the UK included. PokéBeach says the promotion will reach other countries later, without dates (PokeZentrum, 28 September 2026). No UK date has been reported.
- France, 4 December 2026 – 21 January 2027, according to a leaker relayed by the Pokekalos account (Journal du Geek, 6 October 2026); McDonald's France has not confirmed it (ScreenWorld, 19 October 2026).
- The "15-Pokémon list" on social media (ScreenWorld, 19 October 2026, citing an Instagram post) matches 14 of the 15 names in the 2025 Dragon Discovery list above. There is no official 2026 list.
- Earlier talk of February–March 2026 (Hypebeast, December 2025) was replaced by the November dates in the September reports.
Tracking it on ColleX
There is no official 2026 card list yet, and we do not publish lists built from rumours. Happy Meal toys that are already out can be marked "Have" and "Want" in their sets — for example Happy Meal Build-A-Bear, with dates and all twelve names in our Build-A-Bear article.
FAQ
When is the Pokémon Happy Meal coming to the UK in 2026?
There is no official date as of 19 October 2026. The last UK wave, Dragon Discovery, ran from 14 May to 17 June 2025 — months after France (December 2024) and Germany (January 2025).
How many cards are in the McDonald's Pokémon set?
15 in each wave from 2022 to 2025, and 25 in 2021 (each in a non-holo and a holo version). Each Happy Meal contains a four-card booster with one holo. The 2026 set has not been officially announced.
What was on the McDonald's Pokémon card list in 2025?
Dragon Discovery, 15 cards: Charizard, Pikachu, Miraidon, Jigglypuff, Hatenna, Dragapult, Quagsire, Koraidon, Umbreon, Hydreigon, Roaring Moon, Dragonite, Eevee, Rayquaza and Drampa. Seven of them are holo.
Is the Pokémon Happy Meal still available in the UK?
No. The last UK wave ended on 17 June 2025, and no new wave had been announced as of 19 October 2026.
Are Happy Meal Pokémon cards part of the 30th Celebration set?
No. McDonald's promos are separate sets with their own numbering. 30th Celebration (199 cards) was released on 16 September 2026 and is sold in Pokémon TCG products.
Sources: Dexerto, Attractions Magazine, Kotaku (28 September 2026); Journal du Geek (30 September and 6 October 2026); PokeZentrum (28 September 2026); ScreenWorld (19 October 2026); McDonald's Polska press release (25 April 2025); Bulbapedia and PokéWiki (read 19 October 2026); Nintendo Life (2023); Nintendo Wire (15 May 2025); ComicBook.com (28 September 2026); Il Post (14 August 2025); Essential Japan (3 August 2026); Siliconera (4 August 2026); Hypebeast (December 2025).