Releases September 16, 2026 — worldwide on the same day
Pokémon 30th Anniversary — the 30th Celebration set explained
Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration marks 30 years of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. On September 16, 2026 it becomes the first expansion ever to launch in every region on the same day.
It is not a normal set. Every card you pull from a 30th Celebration pack is foil — commons, Trainers, even the Basic Energy. Every pack carries one of 30 Pikachu cards, each by a different illustrator. And the packs themselves never go on shelves alone: you only get them inside Elite Trainer Boxes, collection boxes, tins, and bundles.
This guide covers what is in the packs, when each product lands, and how to compare sealed prices and live listings on PokeGoTo before you commit to a preorder.
Release date and launch waves
Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration goes on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in every region at once — the first simultaneous global release in the card game's history.
Pokémon TCG Live gets the expansion a day early, on September 15, 2026 at 10 a.m. PDT.
The sealed lineup arrives in five waves running to December, so the launch-day shelf is only part of it. The Booster Bundle and Mini Tins do not arrive until October 2 — worth knowing before you pay a launch-week premium for packs.
The dates below are the US schedule, which Pokémon keeps current. Its UK page lists the same waves by month, and the two agree everywhere except the Tech Sticker Collection, the Binder Collection, and a 2-Pack Blister that only appears in the UK lineup. Those three are called out where they land. Outbound Pokémon.com links on this page open the US or UK edition of each article depending on where you are browsing from.
- September 16, 2026Coming
- Elite Trainer Box (9 packs) and Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box (11 packs)
- Pokémon ex Box — Sylveon ex & Greninja ex (4 packs)
- Poster Collection — 27" × 39" poster of 160+ cards, plus Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres promos (3 packs)
- Knock Out Collection — foil Eevee promo and a coin (2 packs)
- Tech Sticker Collection — Lucario or Alolan Exeggutor (3 packs)
Two regional differences here. The UK and Europe also get a 2-Pack Blister (foil Eevee, coin, two packs) that the US lineup does not list. The Tech Sticker Collection goes the other way — September 16 in the US, but November on Pokémon's UK page.
- October 2, 2026Coming
- Booster Bundle (6 packs)
- Mini Tins — 10 designs (2 packs each)
- October 30, 2026Coming
- Battle Deck — Espeon ex with an illustration rare-style Victini (60-card all-foil deck)
- Battle Deck — Umbreon ex with an illustration rare-style Zeraora (60-card all-foil deck)
- November 6, 2026Coming
- Ultra-Premium Collection, Day and Night — 29 packs plus a Classic Collection pack of three cards
- Ditto Premium Collection with an acrylic display (8 packs)
- Figure Collection — Mew & Mewtwo, with figures sculpted for Kaiyodo (5 packs)
- December 4, 2026Coming
- Binder Collection with a 9-pocket binder (5 packs) — US date
The Binder Collection originally sat in the September wave. Pokémon's US page now lists December 4; its UK page still shows September, because that page has not been updated since June. Treat the UK date as unsettled and check the retailer listing before you preorder.
What's in a 30th Celebration pack
Each booster pack holds five foil cards plus one foil Basic Energy card. One of those five is always a Pikachu, drawn from a pool of 30 illustrations by 30 different artists.
The all-foil treatment is the headline change. In a normal expansion only the reverse holos and the rare slot shine; here the commons, the Trainers, and the Energy all get foil, so there is no such thing as a plain bulk card in the set.
- 5 foil cards — every card in the pack, not just the rare slot
- 1 guaranteed Pikachu — one of 30 unique illustrations, one per pack
- 1 foil Basic Energy — Energy cards get the foil treatment too
Set highlights and chase cards
The main set runs to 128 cards, with secret rares carrying the numbering past it — the Futuristic rare Mew ex lands at 158/128. A separate Classic Collection subset sits alongside it.
- Futuristic rare — a brand-new rarity debuting on Mewtwo ex and Mew ex, illustrated by YOSHIROTTEN in vivid colour with 3D-style lighting
- The 30 Pikachu — thirty Pikachu cards from thirty illustrators, including Takumi Wada, Anesaki Dynamic, Shinya Komatsu, and Mina Nakai
- Classic Collection — 30 reprints spanning Base Set to the modern era, framed in a sparkling gold border — not legal in Standard
- New illustration rares — Espeon, Umbreon, Lapras, Drifloon, Zorua, and Lycanroc get new illustration rare art
- New Pokémon ex — Sylveon ex and Greninja ex headline the new ex cards, with their own dedicated ex Box
- Legendary Pokémon — Zapdos, Kyogre, Groudon, and Solgaleo appear in the official artwork beside a Pikachu-stamped Mew ex
Three things to know before you buy
- There is no booster box — 30th Celebration has no traditional 36-pack booster box. If you want packs in volume, the Ultra-Premium Collection (29 packs) and the Elite Trainer Boxes (9 and 11) are the closest thing.
- Packs are not sold on their own — Booster packs only ship inside sealed products. Loose packs you see listed have been broken out of a box by the seller, so check what you are paying per pack against the box it came from.
- Launch day is not the whole lineup — Products land in five waves through December 4. Prices on launch-day SKUs usually settle once the October and November waves widen supply.
Track 30th Celebration on PokeGoTo
PokeGoTo tracks the sealed SKUs and pulls live listings for each one, so you can see what a product is actually selling for rather than what it is listed at.
- 30th Celebration sealed products — every SKU we track, with live listings for each
- 30th Celebration set guide — compare product types and open the checklist as singles arrive
- All Pokémon sets — prices and checklists from Base Set onward
- How to buy Pokémon cards — what packs, bundles, and ETBs actually get you
Every 30th Celebration product
The full sealed lineup in release order, with what each one holds. Open any product for live listings and recent sold prices.
September 16Elite Trainer Box30th Celebration Elite Trainer BoxNine packs, a full-art Nidorina promo, 65 sleeves, 16 foil Basic Energy, dice, a coin, and a box with six dividers to sort it all into.Shop this product →
September 16Elite Trainer Box30th Celebration Pokémon Center Elite Trainer BoxThe Pokémon Center version of the same box: eleven packs instead of nine, and a second Nidorina promo stamped with the Pokémon Center logo.Shop this product →
September 16Collection Box30th Celebration Pokémon ex Box — Sylveon ex & Greninja exSylveon ex or Greninja ex, each as a playable foil promo and an oversize card, with four packs alongside.Shop this product →
September 16Collection Box30th Celebration Poster CollectionA 27 × 39 inch poster showing over 160 cards from the set, plus foil Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres promos and three packs.Shop this product →
September 16Collection Box30th Celebration Tech Sticker Collection — LucarioLucario or Alolan Exeggutor as a foil promo with a matching tech sticker sheet and three packs. Pokémon's UK page lists this one for November.Shop this product →
September 16Collection Box30th Celebration Knock Out Collection (Eevee)A foil Eevee promo, a plastic coin, and two packs — the cheapest way into the set.Shop this product →
September 16Blister Pack30th Celebration 2-Pack Blister (Eevee)Same contents as the Knock Out Collection in blister packaging. It appears on Pokémon's UK lineup but not the US one.Shop this product →
October 2Booster Bundle30th Celebration Booster BundleSix packs and nothing else. The simplest pack-per-pound comparison in the lineup.Shop this product →
October 2Tin30th Celebration Mini Tins (10-Pack)Ten tin designs, each with two packs, a sticker sheet, and a matching art card. Collect all ten and the art cards form two larger images, one day and one night.Shop this product →
October 30Deck30th Celebration Battle Deck — Espeon ex & Umbreon exTwo ready-to-play 60-card all-foil decks — Espeon ex with an illustration rare-style Victini, or Umbreon ex with Zeraora. Each comes with a deck box, coin, and playmat.Shop this product →
November 6Ultra-Premium Collection30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection — Day & NightThe big one: 29 packs plus a Classic Collection pack of three cards, Pikachu ex with either Espeon ex or Umbreon ex, and a playmat, sleeves, and deck box.Shop this product →
November 6Collection Box30th Celebration Ditto Premium CollectionA Ditto promo and an acrylic display stand you can swap your own card into, with eight packs.Shop this product →
November 6Collection Box30th Celebration Figure Collection — Mew & MewtwoA sculpted Mew or Mewtwo figure produced by Kaiyodo, with a foil promo, an oversize card, and five packs.Shop this product →
December 4 (US)Collection Box30th Celebration Binder CollectionA 9-pocket binder in 30th Celebration livery with five packs. This is the one product whose date moved — see the calendar above.Shop this product →
Pokémon 30th anniversary FAQ
- When is the Pokémon 30th anniversary TCG set released?
- Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration releases on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, worldwide — the first simultaneous global launch in Pokémon TCG history. Pokémon TCG Live gets the expansion a day earlier, on September 15, 2026 at 10 a.m. PDT.
- What is the official name of the 30th anniversary Pokémon set?
- The official English name is Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration, usually shortened to 30th Celebration.
- Are all cards in 30th Celebration foil?
- Yes. The Pokémon Company has confirmed that every card in a 30th Celebration booster pack is foil, including the Basic Energy. That covers commons and Trainers, not just reverse holos and the rare slot.
- What is in a 30th Celebration booster pack?
- Five foil cards plus one foil Basic Energy card. One of the five is always a Pikachu, taken from a pool of 30 different illustrations.
- Is there a booster box for 30th Celebration?
- No. There is no traditional 36-pack booster box for this set. The largest pack counts come from the Ultra-Premium Collection at 29 packs, the Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box at 11, and the standard Elite Trainer Box at 9.
- Can you buy 30th Celebration booster packs on their own?
- Not from retailers. Packs are only sold inside products such as Elite Trainer Boxes, collection boxes, tins, and the Booster Bundle. Single packs listed for sale have been split out of a sealed product by the seller.
- How many cards are in 30th Celebration?
- The main set runs to 128 cards, with secret rares numbered beyond it — the Futuristic rare Mew ex is 158/128. A 30-card Classic Collection of reprints sits alongside the main set.
- What is a Futuristic rare?
- Futuristic rare is a new rarity introduced in 30th Celebration. It debuts on Mewtwo ex and Mew ex, illustrated by the Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN, with vivid colour and 3D-style lighting effects.
- Are Classic Collection cards legal in the Standard format?
- No. The Classic Collection reprints are collector cards and are not legal for Standard play.
- When does the 30th Celebration Booster Bundle come out?
- The Booster Bundle and the ten Mini Tin designs release on October 2, 2026 — two weeks after the main launch, not on day one.
- When does the 30th Celebration Binder Collection come out?
- It depends on where you are buying. The Binder Collection was originally part of the September wave. Pokémon's US page now lists December 4, 2026, while its UK page still shows September because it has not been updated since June. Preorders have been open since the summer in both regions, so an open preorder tells you nothing about the ship date — check the date on the retailer's listing.
- Do US and UK 30th Celebration release dates differ?
- Mostly no — the same waves land in both regions. Three exceptions: the Tech Sticker Collection is September 16 in the US but November in the UK and Europe; the 2-Pack Blister is UK/Europe only and does not appear on the US lineup; and the Binder Collection is December 4 in the US while Pokémon's UK page still shows the original September date because it has not been updated. This guide follows the US calendar Pokémon keeps current and calls out those three where they apply.
- When will 30th Celebration singles appear on PokeGoTo?
- Card-level prices arrive once sealed product is on shelves and market sources start indexing singles. The set guide and sealed products page are live now if you are researching before launch.