[London, UK] January 2026: The 72nd annual Toy Fair returned to Olympia, London this week, welcoming back more than 250 exhibiting companies alongside thousands of visitors from the UK and abroad. New trends discovered on the show floor included wearable toys and accessories, fun character food plush toys, a plethora of games for all ages to enjoy, as well as an emerging theme of whacky, silly and toilet humour across a range of toy categories. Licensed toys and kidults toys featured heavily, and there were plenty of new collectible ranges on show, as well as sensory play products and toys that had an element of surprise.
Across a busy three days, manufacturers, distributors, buyers, licensors, inventors, media, influencers and the wider industry gathered under one roof making new connections and building on current partnerships as they discussed the thousands of new product launches.
The show was kickstarted with positive news that sales of more than half of all major toy categories increased in 2025, as reported by global market research company Circana. Licensing continues to be a major driver for the industry, following last year’s blockbuster films such as Wicked: For Good, Minecraft, Lilo & Stitch, and Jurassic World whilst sports-driven toys made an impact with growing interest in motorsports and Formula One.
Steven Russell, Posh Paws Marketing Manager, said: “Wow, what a week and what a show! Toy Fair just keeps getting bigger and better every year and this one was one of our (and the) best! It’s the best platform to showcase all our amazing new products to buyers and media, because you can’t beat seeing and picking up our products when you’re at the show and on our stand. We’ve had some incredible conversations with existing and new buyers that we’re really excited about for our new launches and met with so many suppliers, journalists and content creators, that makes us even more excited for the year ahead! Watch this space!”
Oliver Delvalle, Trade Marketing Manager at FKA Brands – MotorDayz, said: “Toy Fair 2026 has been one to remember! As our first time attending, the show presented a fantastic opportunity to connect with retail and licensing partners throughout the industry and gain invaluable exposure. We’ve been absolutely blown away with the positive responses at the show; it’s a huge milestone for MotorDayz as we enter the European market. The experience working with the Toy Fair team has been seamless and pleasurable – we’re already excited for the 2027 showcase!”
There were some notable faces at the show this year, from footballing legend Phil Jagielka who attended alongside the Click team through to familiar faces like Stephen Mulhern on the Big Sky Games stand, and Matt Edmondson who arrived alongside Asmodee. TV Presenter, Maddie Moate also joined the Toy Fair TV team this year, interviewing exhibitors alongside Gavin Inksip throughout the three days.
The final day of Toy Fair 2026 saw a vibrant mix of inventors, design students and influencers, bringing the show to a strong close. The return of the Inventors Lunch, hosted by Mojo Nation, provided a valuable networking opportunity for those working across toy and game design, as familiar faces reconnected and new relationships were formed.
Toy Fair, in partnership with Mojo Nation, also reintroduced the Design Student Seminar for the first time since the pandemic, inspiring the next generation of designers to consider a career in the toy industry. The seminar featured a panel of respected industry figures across invention and in-house design, who provided students with insight into what makes a successful inventor, what the toy industry looks for in a designer, and shared their passion for the industry through anecdotes from their careers.
The Toy Industry Awards also took place over Toy Fair, where the industry united to celebrate toy supplier and retailer achievements of 2025. Big winners on the night were Asmodee who won both Supplier of the Year and Toy of the Year for their Pokémon Trading Cards. The Retailer of the Year was awarded to Smyths.
Majen Immink, Director of Fairs & Special Events at the British Toy and Hobby Association, organisers of Toy Fair, commented “It’s always great to welcome the industry back to Toy Fair, with three days full of exciting product launches, strong retail engagement and real momentum across the industry. The quality of innovation on display and the level of engagement from exhibitors, retailers, buyers,media and the wider industry reinforces Toy Fair’s position as a vital and invaluable meeting place for the UK toy industry. A huge thank you to all of our exhibitors, visitors and contractors for their efforts and contributions which helped make Toy Fair another great show.”
Applications for Toy Fair 2027 will open in March 2026. To keep up to date with the latest Toy Fair news you can follow the show on Instagram @ToyFairUK and LinkedIn.
Toy Fair 2026 testimonials:
Jason McKenzie, Commercial Director at Paper Engine:
“It’s been amazing to be back at Olympia for Toy Fair 2026. This is always a great opportunity to showcase our exciting range and brand new Build Your Own products to valued customers, and to also meet with many new businesses. In addition, we’ve also had some incredible media opportunities this year, including speaking with The Times, which along with meeting influencers in person, helps strengthen our brand visibility in 2026 and beyond.”
Jacqueline Taylor-Foo, GM UK & Ireland at James Galt & Co Ltd:
“Our team really loves the London Toy Fair, it is the chance to showcase our brands to the trade, to network and catch up with a range of connected partners, as well as meet new customers and have conversations with prospecting companies, inventors, licensing contacts and many others.
This year we felt was one of our best, the atmosphere and opportunities were brilliant and we’re already marking our diaries for 2027!”
Judith Stark, Managing Director, Halilit:
“We have returned exhausted but buzzing from a hugely successful show which exceeded all our expectations. We genuinely could have done with an extra day! There was such a great vibe and tons of positivity, the atmosphere was fabulous. We got such great feedback and lovely comments re our new launches from existing customers and opened lots of new accounts too – we couldn’t be happier!”
Alf Blohm, Head of Sales UK at Craze Toys:
“We have thoroughly enjoyed the buzz and energy of our first London Toy Fair and are delighted by the response we’ve had to the innovative, collectable and licensed ranges we are launching in 2026. The product mix landed well and the bath bomb demonstrations did exactly what we hoped – they stopped people and started conversations about the surprise play value we offer. Thank you to the BTHA for supporting us during our first show and to all the customers, trade press, media and influencers who took time to visit the Craze stand and chat about opportunities for the exciting year ahead.”
Andy Hobbs, Director at LA Brands / Cryptic Killers:
“Toy Fair was an extremely well-run event from start to finish. We thoroughly enjoyed the networking opportunities and showcasing our latest game, Peaky Blinders. Communication in the lead up to the show was clear and well organised, and the event delivered on all of our objectives. A great experience for exhibitors, see you next year!”
Josh Wainright, Co-Founder at Worgan Games
“Our first year here at Toy Fair and absolutely loved it, lots of good leads and friendly networking. Loved the toy fair TV team.”
Darrell Jones, Marketing Director at Vivid Goliath:
“After months of planning, London Toy Fair is always a highlight of our calendar and a fantastic opportunity to showcase the breadth and diversity of our portfolio. We had an incredibly busy three days and thoroughly enjoyed meeting with our retail and licensor partners, as well as giving the stage to the hugely talented Aaron from Crazy Aaron’s, who delighted visitors with their take-home Better Butter putty.”
Monica Thorne, Buyer at TK MAXX:
“It’s the best show you’ll come to. It’s just great to see what’s new, what’s coming up and what’s going to be the new big thing for Christmas.”
Natasha Hewett, Editor at Project Baby:
“Toy Fair is a must on the press event calendar. It gives us the invaluable opportunity to meet brands face to face and plan editorial and coverage priorities for the year ahead. I’ve never missed a Toy Fair in ten years, and that consistency speaks volumes about its importance to the industry.”
Dan Green, Editor at The Week Junior Science+Nature:
“It’s always a great event to attend and this year was even better than ever.”
ENDS
For PR enquiries or for more information please contact [email protected]
Visit the website: https://www.toyfair.co.uk/
Follow Toy Fair on Instagram & Twitter at: @toyfairuk
About Toy Fair
Toy Fair is the UK’s largest dedicated toy, game and hobby trade exhibition taking place at Olympia, London. The event takes place over three days at the end of January each year and plays host to hundreds of exhibitors, from startups to some of the biggest toy companies, launching thousands of new toy lines.
Toy Fair 2026 takes place from Tuesday 20th – Thursday 22nd January. Press day is Tuesday 20th January. Please note the opening times are 09:00-18:00 Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st, and 09:00-16:30 Thursday 22nd January.
About the BTHA
The British Toy & Hobby Association was established in 1944 to represent the interests of British toy manufacturers and to raise standards of practice in the industry. Today it has more than 150 members ranging from international toy giants to small family-run businesses that together account for more than 80% of the UK toy market. Membership of the British Toy & Hobby Association shows the member’s commitment to adhere to the BTHA Code of Practice under the umbrella of the Lion Mark which includes rules covering ethical and safe manufacture of toys, toy safety, a ban on counterfeit goods, an assurance to market responsibly, a commitment to improving sustainability and a desire to promote the value of all play through support of the Make Time 2 Play campaign. Our members are manufacturers committed to making good quality toys in a responsible way. The BTHA also administers the Toy Trust – the industry’s charity.
About Circana
Circana is a leader in providing technology, AI, and data to fast-moving consumer packaged goods companies, durables manufacturers, and retailers seeking to optimize their businesses. Circana’s predictive analytics and technology empower clients to measure their market share, understand the underlying consumer behaviour driving it, and accelerate their growth. Circana’s Liquid Data® technology platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality data set and intelligent algorithms trained on six decades of domain expertise. With Circana, clients can take immediate action to future-proof and evolve their growth strategies amid an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and ever-changing economy. Learn more at circana.com.
