PokéXciting Kuala Lumpur 2026

12 Sep 2026

PokéXciting! ran at KLCC Park on 12–13 September 2026 as the first stop of Pokémon's 30th anniversary tour across Asia, marking 30 years since Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan on 27 February 1996. The event was free, drew heavy crowds by evening, and included a drone show, parades, and a Pokémon Center pop-up at Ombak KLCC that runs through December.

I didn't plan my day around PokéXciting! so much as let it happen to me (and I even hesitate to go, but I am so glad I went). I knew there'd be a 30th anniversary event at KLCC Park. I did not know it would end with me three people back in a queue, watching a set of starter Pokémon disappear five minutes before I reached the front.

What Is PokéXciting! and Why Kuala Lumpur First?

Pokémon turns 30 this year. Pokémon Red and Green, the first games in the franchise, launched in Japan on 27 February 1996, and PokéXciting! is the touring celebration built around that anniversary. Kuala Lumpur got the opening slot: KLCC Park, 12–13 September 2026, with four more cities to follow.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — 12–13 Sep 2026 (KLCC Park)
Taipei, Taiwan — 10–11 Oct 2026 (Xiangti Boulevard, Xinyi District)
Singapore — 7–8 Nov 2026 (Changi Airport & Jewel)
Manila, Philippines — 23–24 Jan 2027 (SM Mall of Asia)
Bangkok, Thailand — 13–14 Feb 2027

Each city gets its own colour of PokéXciting! Pikachu. Malaysia's is turquoise.

Kuala Lumpur got the party first. No entry fee, no ticket required for the park itself.

What Happened During the Day at KLCC Park?

Event hours ran 1:30pm to 10:00pm. The morning-to-afternoon crowd was the ordinary KLCC Park crowd, tilted toward families with young children. It stayed that way until the sun went down.

The official schedule looked like this:

1:30–2:00pm — PokéXciting! Parade 1
2:00–2:15pm — Pikachu Dance Show - EDM (Stage)
2:30–2:45pm — Pikachu Dance Show - Pokémon Kids TV (Stage)
6:00–6:30pm — PokéXciting! Parade 2
6:45–7:00pm — Pikachu Dance Show - Rock (Stage)
6:40–8:10pm — PokéXciting! Special Night Show (Stage)
9:00–9:10pm — PokéXciting! Drone Show (Facing KL Tower & Twin Towers)

I spent the afternoon hunting POKÉGENIC spots, the photo-op decorations scattered through the park (I never found Mewtwo, which still bothers me slightly). With the lighter afternoon crowd, I got clean shots with nobody else in frame. By evening, there was a queue just to photograph the decorations themselves.

This pikachu & chikorita duo looks cute together

Sun visor distribution (free) but expect a queue to get this free gift

Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle before the parade starts

PokéXciting! Parade at 6pm, look at the crowd!

What About the Meet & Greet Session?

The queue was for photos with the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet starters: Quaxly (Water), Fuecoco (Fire), and Sprigatito (Grass). I joined it. Almost 30 minutes in, five minutes before 5pm, all three walked off. I was three people from the front. Staff said there was a change of Pokémon coming, and none of us knew what that meant.

What came out instead was Captain Pikachu. (I'd have counted myself lucky just to get a photo with regular Pikachu — Captain Pikachu was a bonus nobody in that queue was expecting.)

Meet and greet, staff will help to take photo. Three starter Pokémon from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Was the Drone Show Worth Staying Until 9pm For?

Absolutely. If you're deciding whether to kill three hours in KLCC Park waiting for a ten-minute show, the answer is yes, but where you wait for it matters more than whether you go.

The information counter pointed me to two recommended viewing spots: right by KLCC facing the Twin Towers, or the rooftop at Ombak KLCC. I scouted the Ombak rooftop, at 7:50pm, ten minutes' walk from KLCC Park. It was already crowded and the space was narrow. So I went back down to the park area near Ombak KLCC instead, and waited there until 9pm.

That turned out to be the better call. I could sit while waiting, and still had a clear-enough view of both the drones and the Twin Towers together, tree branches partly in the way. (The unobstructed sightline had already been claimed by people who'd staked it out earlier — arrive well before 8pm if you want that shot without foliage in it.)

The show opened with the drones spelling out "PokéXciting!" itself, KL Tower glowing faintly beneath the lettering.

What's the Deal With the Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store?

The Pokémon Center pop-up at Ombak KLCC opened alongside the event on 12 September and runs through December, so this part of PokéXciting! is still live long after the park festivities ended. But the opening weekend, 12–14 September, ran on a separate ticketed entry system, not a walk-in:

Zone 1 — Ticket distribution: Level G, Main Entrance, Ombak KLCC. Queue opens 6am, tickets given out from 8am while stock lasts.
No queueing before 6am. The notice is specific that arriving early to queue gets you disqualified, not rewarded.
Zone 2 — Store admission: Level 3, Ombak KLCC, using the ticket from Zone 1.
One ticket per person, non-transferable.
No Pokémon TCG products during this opening window.

Outside that first weekend, I'd expect the pop-up to settle into normal walk-in hours through December, but if you're going in that specific 12–14 September window, plan around the ticket, not the store.

Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store at Ombak KLCC

Besides the Programme: What Fans Brought With Them

Half the fun wasn't scheduled at all. It was watching what people showed up wearing.

One backpack had a full Pikachu and Eevee patch set stitched on, #0025 embroidered next to it, plus a pink Mew and a red Charmander plushie clipped on as keychains. Another had gone the same route with a different mascot — a Snorlax plushie dangling off a bag, matched to a Snorlax t-shirt worn on purpose, not by coincidence.

A couple walking ahead of me had matched their outfits without saying a word about it: a denim jacket with a hand-painted Pikachu on the back, Poké Ball patch on the shoulder, worn like something they'd owned for years rather than bought for the day.

A fan wearing a denim jacket with a hand-painted Pikachu design and Poké Ball patch, walking through KLCC Park during PokéXciting! — A couple walking through KLCC Park, one wearing a denim jacket with a large painted Pikachu design and a Poké Ball patch on the back.

A Pikachu-shaped plush crossbody bag worn as an accessory at PokéXciting! Kuala Lumpur. — A fluffy yellow Pikachu-shaped plush crossbody bag with brown ear and tail details, worn on someone's hip.

Some of it wasn't subtle at all. A full Pikachu-shaped plush crossbody bag, ears and tail included, worn like a normal handbag. A Pokémon-branded umbrella with a Pikachu print and a gold luggage tag charm clipped to the zipper.

A Pokémon-branded umbrella printed with Pikachu, held over a backpack decorated with a gold Pikachu tag and matching patches — A Pokémon-branded umbrella with a Pikachu print, held over a backpack with a gold Pikachu luggage tag.

A fan wearing a Snorlax-print t-shirt with a matching Snorlax plush keychain on his bag strap at PokéXciting! Kuala Lumpur — A man wearing a grey "Snorlax" t-shirt with a printed Snorlax graphic, a Snorlax plush charm clipped to his crossbody bag strap.

None of this was organised by anyone. It was just what happens when an entire park's worth of people decide, independently, that today was the day to bring out the merch they'd been saving.

Quick Summary

Best for: Pokémon fans, families with young children, event photographers
Event length: Half a day to a full day (1:30–10:00pm if staying for the drone show)
Getting there: KLCC Park, walkable from Suria KLCC and the KLCC LRT/MRT station
Where to stay: Anywhere in the KLCC vicinity — Mandarin Oriental and Traders Hotel both back directly onto the park
Must-do: POKÉGENIC spot hunting in the afternoon, before the evening crowd arrives
Food highlight: Not part of the event itself — bring your own plans for KLCC's usual food options
Best time to go: Afternoon, before the 1:30 or 6:00pm parade, if you want to move freely
Getting around: On foot within the park; expect restricted movement during parade windows
Not ideal for: Anyone who needs a guaranteed Meet & Greet slot — there's no published timing
Pair it with: The Pokémon Center pop-up at Ombak KLCC (separate ticket system, 12–14 Sep)

Is It Worth the Trip Back for the Pop-Up, or a City Further Down the Tour?

If you're not staying for the 9pm drone show, go early. If you are, there's no reason to rush; arrive after lunch, before the 1.30pm parade, when the park is still walkable. (Nobody warns you about the afternoon heat, though.) Either way, the evening crowd is the real price of admission.

Four more cities get their turn between now and February. If Kuala Lumpur is any guide, the afternoon is when you actually enjoy it, and the evening is when you say you were there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time was the PokéXciting! drone show in Kuala Lumpur?
The drone show ran from 9:00pm to 9:10 pmon 12–13 September 2026 at KLCC Park, the final event of the night.

Was there a fixed schedule for the Meet & Greet at PokéXciting! KL?
No official timing was posted for the Meet & Greet queue near Ombak KLCC. Visitors found it by walking the park; the Pokémon on rotation changed without notice during the day.

Do you need a ticket to enter the Pokémon Center pop-up store at Ombak KLCC?
Entry during the 12–14 September opening window required a free same-day ticket, distributed from 8am at Level G, Ombak KLCC, after a queue that could not start before 6am.

Which cities are hosting PokéXciting! after Kuala Lumpur?
Taipei (10–11 Oct 2026), Singapore (7–8 Nov 2026), Manila (23–24 Jan 2027), and Bangkok (13–14 Feb 2027) follow, each with a region-exclusive PokéXciting! Pikachu colour.

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