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.
