Major global tournaments and events, including the renowned Pokémon European International Championships (EUIC), FAB World Premiere, Grand Archive, MTG Spotlight and the London Card Show, are now all regulars at the Royal Docks venue and continuing to expand in line with sector growth.
Trading Card Games, or TCG for short, are gatherings where players and collectors meet to play, buy and sell trade cards from popular games. In recent years, the sector has experienced an explosive resurgence from a niche hobby to a multi-billion-dollar industry – driven by pandemic-era nostalgia, a strong and loyal community and engaging new franchises. The sector was recently valued at £6.3 billion (2025), with analysts predicting this figure will rise to £12.8 billion by 2035.
Alongside fan-favourite Pokémon, Excel also hosted the first major UK premiere of Grand Archive, the largest-attended World Premiere of FAB, and the debut of MTG Spotlight. Earlier this year, Excel also hosted the London Card Show for the first time, attracting a record 24,000 visitors from 70 countries and featuring rare cards for sale, including the first-ever 2019 Gold Kaboom of Tom Brady.
Senior added: “What we’re seeing is explosive growth in the TCG market complemented by London’s global appeal as a meeting destination. This is only the beginning too, with many more major events coming to Excel over the coming years, attracted by Excel’s world-class facilities, transport connectivity and ability to scale with their own growth.”
Today’s announcement also comes at a pivotal time for Excel, with 2026 set to be a record year for new business, in addition to hosting an unprecedented 10 major international associations. The venue is also embarking on a further multi-million-pound investment programme, following the completion of its 25,000sqm expansion, as part of its mission to become the best event destination in the world.
Learn more about Excel London here.
