Thirty years after the little egg-shaped pet first beeped to life in Japan, Tamagotchi is throwing itself a party in the middle of Manhattan. Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America is planning a free, all-day celebration in Times Square on November 22, 2026, capped off by a coordinated screen takeover that will light up the neighborhood after dark.
The event, dubbed the Tamagotchi Times Square Spectacular, is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Duffy Square, the pedestrian plaza between 45th and 47th streets, bounded by Broadway and Seventh Avenue, according to a release distributed via StreetInsider. Organizers say it will be free and open to fans of all ages, with activities, photo opportunities, fan meetups, brand history displays, product demonstrations and giveaways packed into the day. The promotional materials describe it as the biggest Tamagotchi celebration ever staged, though that framing comes from the company itself rather than an independent measure.
As the day winds down, screens across Times Square are set to light up in unison for a 30-minute Tamagotchi anniversary presentation starting at 7 p.m., according to Bandai Namco's announcement on PR Newswire. Fans attending in person can also look forward to a meet-and-greet with Mametchi and Mimitchi, two of the franchise's best-known characters, plus an exclusive trading card giveaway while supplies last.
Why November 22 Is the Date
The timing is no accident. Because of the time difference, the release notes that once the Times Square screens finish their takeover, it will already be November 23 in Japan — the brand's official anniversary and exactly 30 years to the day since Tamagotchi first launched there in 1996. Taro Tsuji, Tamagotchi's Chief Tamagotchi Officer, said the emotional connection at the heart of the toy has not changed in three decades, per the same announcement.
The Duffy Square gathering caps a longer road for the anniversary push. The Times Square event follows a two-month tour across eight U.S. cities, an expansion of the Tamagotchi USA Road Trip that, according to a separate release, returned for a second year this time around. Earlier stops on that tour were also free with no tickets required, and offered interactive games, product previews, exclusive merchandise and photo opportunities for fans to connect with each other.
A Toy That Keeps Finding New Fans
Tamagotchi has shipped more than 100 million devices worldwide since its 1996 debut, per the PR Newswire release, and has been sold in roughly 50 countries and regions across 37 different models, according to Asahi Shimbun. The newest of those, Tamagotchi Paradise, arrived in July and lets creatures fight, form families and have children through added connectivity features, the outlet reports.
That staying power is being driven by what Asahi describes as a fourth wave of Tamagotchi popularity, fueled by former fans rediscovering the toy. Bandai has credited part of the recent sales boom to what it calls “kidults” — adults who grew up with Tamagotchi and now want to share it with their own children, the publication notes. Bandai Namco's own investor newsletter attributes the current surge to the broader Heisei-era retro trend, and the company has said it is aiming to roughly double the existing market to about ¥100 billion.
More Than Just a Pop-Up
The Times Square gathering is one piece of a much larger 30th-anniversary rollout. A Tamagotchi-themed Roblox experience is scheduled to take over parts of Main Street RP from November 1 through November 30, and MINISO is running Tamagotchi pop-ups from November 7 through November 29 at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Barton Creek Square in Austin, Texas, per the PR Newswire announcement.
On the day of the Times Square event itself, several area retailers are also offering limited-edition gift-with-purchase promotions, including locations in Brooklyn, Flushing and inside American Dream mall, according to the same release. Beyond the toy aisle, Tamagotchi has also branched into fashion and lifestyle collaborations, customization options and new accessories as it works to reach a new generation of fans, the announcement adds.
