A Mum’s Guide to the Pokémon European International Championships (EUIC)
(For Parents Who Don’t Understand Pokémon!)
Confession time: I don’t understand Pokémon. I couldn’t tell you what a deck build is, or why one Pokemon card is better than another. But despite this, I booked tickets for my boys to compete at the Pokémon European International Championships (EUIC) for the very first time, and it was a weekend we’ll all never forget.
My boys love the Pokémon card game. They play for hours, honing their decks, discussing strategy. And from a mum’s point of view, I love that it’s something they can enjoy together and that it keeps them away from the dreaded screens!
We’ve visited the Pokémon EUIC twice before as spectators, and the boys love watching their heroes play in real time, taking part in all the side events, and of course the shopping. So when the opportunity arose to take them as competitors this year, I signed them straight up. Even if I was slightly frightened of the competitive Pokémon parents, and had no idea what I was doing!
In the same boat? Are you too an accidental Poke-parent with no idea what you’re doing? Then this guide to the Pokémon European International Championships has been written for you!
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
What Actually Is The Pokémon European International Championships?
The Pokémon European International Championships are one of a series of high-level international Pokémon tournaments. As the name suggests, this is the European region’s event, and its held in London every February. It is open to different age categories: Juniors (up to around 12), Seniors (for the teens) and Masters (for the adults).
The event takes place over 3 days, Friday to Sunday, but only the top 8 players in each age category will progress and compete on the Sunday. Our tournament was over by Saturday lunchtime, giving us the rest of the time to enjoy the event as spectators.
You can buy a competitor pass or a spectator pass. Spectators are very welcome, particularly on Saturday and Sunday when you’ll see hundreds of non-competing Pokémon fans arrive just to enjoy the show! You can read about our spectator experience here: The Pokemon European Championships 2026. How to Get Spectator Tickets And What To Expect! (Updated)
For competitors in the Junior and Senior division, they’ll get a spectator pass for their accompanying adult as well as a competitor pass for the whole weekend: Juniors and seniors both need adult supervision at tournaments.
So what are you competing for? Well at the highest levels, big cash prizes. But at the lower levels, championship points: the better you do, the more points you earn. And you need those points to get into certain competitions, specifically the World Championship event.
The Big Question: Is It Only Fun For The Kids?
Pokémon is for everyone. In fact, there are significantly more adult competitors in these tournaments than children. But as a parent/adult at EUIC that isn’t actually a Pokemon fan? I had so much more fun than I expected!
Firstly, once you’re inside, almost everything is included. And it’s so nice to let your kids do what they want without having to look at the price tags! This included:
- Carnival games. There were half a dozen carnival games, but with a Pokemon-themed twist. Hook a duck became Hook a slowpoke for example. Simple, wholesome fun!
- Facepainting. Have your face painted as your favourite pokemon, completely free of charge
- Trading zones. If you collect and trade Pokemon cards, you could bring your collection and enter a dedicated trading zone.
- Computer game area. You could try your hands at a demo of Pokemon ZA AND the new Poketopia game, which hasn’t even been released yet.
- Meet characters. We met Pikachu, Evee, Snorlax, and Mimiqu.
- Pokemon Go! area. You could have a photo taken in a Pokemon Go habitat amongst other activities.
- Pokemon Play Lab. You didn’t even need an event ticket to try the Play Lab and I loved this. Expert Pokemon Professors taught you how to play your chosen game. We tried Pokemon Unite and the card game. For the first time, my husband and I almost understood how the card game worked! We were also given goodies (a pin badge and Pokemon cards) for coming along.
If you’re kids haven’t had enough of playing in the actual tournament, there were also side events of the games. In these side events you can win points, and then spend these at the prize wall. For adults and seniors, these games cost from £10 to join in. For Juniors, the side events were free but they didn’t win prizes: instead each child was given a pack of cards as a reward for joining in.
The only activities that weren’t free of course? The shopping! There isn’t a Pokemon Center in the UK except for this one weekend a year, and you need to book a slot to get in. These are highly sought after and are gone quickly, so remember that if you want to shop you’ll need to book this in advance. We were lucky enough to get a slot, but I did limit how much the boys could spend!
We all had a great weekend, even if we adults did have to do a lot of sitting around. And bonding with my boys over their favourite hobby? Watching them laugh? Make new friends? Absolutely thrive in an environment that seemed made for them? That stuff is priceless.
The Pokemon Parents Survival Guide
If you’re kids are having the time of their lives you will……not be! The days are long and exhausting, particularly for parents who are just sitting around waiting for their kids to finish their rounds. On day 1 the boys played 7 rounds, each comprising 3 matches. On day 2 they played 1 round of 3 matches. If you progress in the competition, you’ll play even more.
So what did we do? We sat around, we read, we messed about on our phones. Which brings me to my first important point: if you see a chair, sit on it! There are more than 5,000 competitors (over 800 of these are children) and only around 80 chairs in the parents seating area. Arrive early and get a seat!
Want to really look like a pro? We saw a couple of parents who carried their own folding stools so they could sit whenever they wanted. This was an absolute GOAT move, and i’ll be stealing it next time!
Here are my top tips for getting through the day as parents:
- Bring snacks and a packed lunch. Competition days are long, and kids only get one set meal break: the queues at the eateries were so long during this break, we were very glad we already had food for everyone!
- Wear comfortable shoes. I was on my feet for a lot of the day (when you give up your seat, it’s lost forever) and even in trainers my feet wear aching.
- Bring a power bank/external phone charger. The details of their next matches will be sent via an app on your phone, so you can’t be without it.
- Pack you’re patience: you will be waiting around ALOT!
- Plan toilet breaks. The toilets are out in the main concourse of the Excel Center, which means that you have to exit the competition hall then go through security again to get back in. Allow a little time for this.
- Don’t try to understand everything. I was there as a cheerleader, not as a coach!
How Much Did The Pokemon EUIC Cost Us?
Time to get to the big question: how much did it cost for us to take the boys to EUIC? Bear in mind that we had to travel and stay in a hotel for the weekend, it would be a much cheaper event if you’re based in London or close enough to travel in by train.
- Tickets: £80. For the whole weekend competitor ticket we paid just £40 each. This included whole weekend passes for all four of us, and competitor welcome kits for the boys. The welcome kits were worth more than we paid for the tickets, and the boys LOVED all the swag inside.
- Hotel: £160. We stayed in the Docklands Central Travelodge, which was 2 stops away from the Excel Centre on the DLR and very easy to get to. The Travelodge at the Excel was more than double (they actually wanted £240 a night!) so staying a 10 minute commute away saved us a lot of money.
- Food: £100. I wanted to save money on food, so took loads with us. We took breakfast to eat in the hotel room, snacks and pack lunch food. We then spent £50 per day on our evening meal. This worked really well for us.
- Souvenirs: £100. We gave the boys £50 each to spend in the Pokémon Center, and they each chose a plushie card holder to hold their exclusive competitor card, and a EUIC t shirt. As this merch is exclusive to the event, it felt like money well-spent!
- Petrol and Parking: £105. This was actually more than we expected. On the first and last day of the event, we parked our car in the Excel Centre for convenience, and this cost a whopping £27.50 per day. We then spent £50 on petrol getting to and from London (we live in Norfolk, for context).
TOTAL EVENT WEEKEND COST: £545 for a family of four.
Is It Worth It? Would I Recommend It To Other Pokemon Mums?
Would I choose to visiting the Pokémon EUIC on my own for a fun weekend away? Absolutely not! With my Pokémon mad kids? There’s nowhere they’d rather be! There decks go out of regulation at the end of this season, and before we’d even left the Excel car park, they were planning new decks, strategising, and falling deeper in love with their chosen hobby. If you want to really meet your kids when they are and embrace what they love, there’s nowhere better.
Because my boys love Pokémon so much, Pokémon events and activities play a huge part in so many of our adventures. Looking for other fun Pokémon activities? Check out:
Pokemon Tokyo Experiences And Attractions (2026 Guide For Pokemon Fans!)
Japan With Kids: Want A Pokemon Cafe Reservation? How To Book The Pokemon Cafe In Tokyo, Japan
Your Ultimate Guide to Pokémon Center Tokyo and Free Shopping Checklist for Families
WANT MORE POSTS LIKE THIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX? HIT SUBSCRIBE BELOW
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
