Brand Licensing Europe 2026 Expands: Record Floor, 300+ Exhibitors, New Opportunities

What's happening

Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) is scaling up for its 2026 edition with a record show floor and more than 300 confirmed exhibitors. Organizers report exhibitor numbers are up 13% compared with last year, and 84 companies will appear at BLE for the first time. The event takes place Oct. 6–8 at ExCeL London. Visitor registration is free through Oct. 5.

Why it matters

BLE is a trading and partnership hub for licensing across entertainment, fashion, heritage, sports, publishing, food and beverage, music, and retail. BLE's event director, Ella Haynes, cites the global licensing industry's near-$400 billion scale to frame the market opportunity and draw for buyers and licensors.

Who to look for and what they're pitching

• Rocket Licensing: Showcasing a broad portfolio spanning entertainment, preschool, heritage and specialist brands. Highlighted IPs include Miffy (new CGI-animated series), Dog Man (expanding program), Dune (ahead of its third film), Monsterverse (ahead of 2027 release), and Spud Bros (a new adult-targeted licensing program). Stand: A205.

• Bulldog Licensing: Bringing entertainment, preschool, publishing, sports and lifestyle brands. Portfolio items include Care Bears, Sesame Street, Mr Bean, Totally Spies!, Beano, Match Attax, and new beverage-brand additions such as Absolut Vodka, Malibu and Kahlúa. Bulldog plans retail expansion for Team GB ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Stand: A202.

• British Museum: Returning with an expanding institutional licensing program. The museum will promote Bastet (inspired by the Gayer-Anderson Cat), a Smurfs collaboration, on-site experiences, and licensing initiatives targeted at accessibility, inclusion and education. Stand: B261.

• Studiocanal Kids & Family: Positioning Paddington as a global lifestyle and entertainment brand with new film projects, international experiences, retail programs and licensing partnerships. Stand: B182.

• Zoonicorn: Announcing consumer-products and content deals tied to new products, educational games and sleepwear, building toward the planned Q4 2027 release of Zoonicorn: The Original Dreamer. Stand: E171.

• Universal: Presenting a broad entertainment portfolio including Shrek, Jurassic World, Gabby's Dollhouse, Fast & Furious, Felix the Cat, Where's Wally? and Universal Monsters, with opportunities across animation, fashion, lifestyle and horror.

Logistics and practical details

• Dates: Oct. 6–8, 2026
• Venue: ExCeL London
• Registration: Free for visitors until Oct. 5 (check BLE registration channels for any onsite or late-registration fees)
• Booths cited in coverage: Rocket Licensing (A205), Bulldog Licensing (A202), British Museum (B261), Studiocanal (B182), Zoonicorn (E171).

What to expect on the floor

Expect a mix of licensors, licensees, retailers and agencies exploring new partnerships across product categories and territories. Activity highlighted in advance includes content-linked launches (new series and films), brand expansions into lifestyle and retail, institutional licensing with educational and inclusion angles, and brands courting retail programs ahead of major events such as the 2028 Olympics.

How to use the show if you're attending

• Plan meetings with specific stand numbers listed for priority partners.
• Prioritize IPs with tied content releases or retail pushes if you want to align product launches and marketing calendars.
• For institutional partners, prepare proposals that show accessibility, education and inclusion outcomes.
• If retail expansion is your focus, target brands signaling stadiums or event-related programs (for example Team GB ahead of 2028).

Bleeding-edge trends for the floor will be cross-category licensing (entertainment to lifestyle), institutional partnerships that emphasize on-site experiences, and content-tied rollouts timed to film or series releases.