Twin Expos in Shanghai Offer Feast for Toy and IP Fans
The China Toy Expo 2025 and China Licensing Expo 2025, featuring a wide range of trendy toys and bringing together domestic and foreign leading brands such as Hasbro, Lego, Pop Mart, Kayou and Bandai, opened in Shanghai's Pudong New Area on Wednesday.
The toy expo brings together 17 major toy categories, covering trendy and collectible toys, collectible models, AI intelligent toys, plush toys, infant toys, games, DIY toys, electronic and remote-controlled toys, outdoor and sports supplies, offering a feast for IP and toy fans.
For blind box enthusiasts, they will find everything at the expo.
More than 2,600 well-known IPs make a appearance. The list includes Disney, Miffy, Pokémon, One Piece, Line Friends, Pop Mart, among others.
Seven IP exhibition areas have been set up, including art and museum, new IP and pop toy, games and sports, and intangible cultural heritage zones.
The CLE Shanghai IP Lifestyle Festival is being held at six landmark business circles such as Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Super Brand Mall synchronously, featuring IP pop-up activities and carnivals.
Leading domestic pan-entertainment product company Kayou has brought a variety of innovations to the expo.
It has launched a wide range of new IP products covering the animation, sports, film and television sectors, such as Barbie, The Prince of Tennis, and NBA star cards co-developed with Fanatics Collectibles, building a rich and diverse IP matrix.
It also showcases plush toys, trendy toys and stationery to satisfy the diverse need of young consumer groups.
A two-day TCG (Trading Card Game) event is also being held, featuring five popular games such as My Little Pony, UCG, and Detective Conan, inviting card lovers to experience strategic battles of different styles.
Global pop culture brand Funko makes a splash at the expo for the first time, showcasing iconic visual elements infused with global pop culture inspirations.
The booth is designed to deliver an immersive and interactive experience for attendees with a variety of engaging on-site activities.
A major highlight is the launch of two all-new blind box series developed in collaboration with artists.
Departing from Funko's classic square-face figurine style, the new blind boxes retain their playful character designs while introducing an innovative combination of blind boxes and collectible cards, offering more diverse surprises and enjoyment.
Hasbro, meanwhile, unveiled its upcoming activities. In the Year of the Horse in the 2026 lunar calendar, the toy giant will launch a new friendship journey during the Spring Festival.
"My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale Season 2" is set to be aired next year, which will convey the timeless core of "Friendship is Magic" to more fans and families.
Moreover, the highly anticipated first 3D feature film "Peppa Pig: Perfect Holiday" will also be released next year, enabling Chinese fans to experience the IP's iconic joyful and healing style on the big screen, as the heartwarming parent-child story unfolds.
Asia's first and the world's largest Peppa Pig outdoor theme park will open in Shanghai in 2027 on Changxing Island with construction well under way, according to Hasbro.
If you go:
Date: Through October 17, 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Center 上海新国际博览中心
Address: 2345 Longyang Road, Pudong New Area 浦东新区龙阳路2345号
