BLE exhibitor numbers up 13% with one month to go 

Brands, agents, manufacturers and service providers from all over the world will exhibit at Brand Licensing Europe next month with current exhibitor numbers 13 per cent up year on year. The showfloor has also increased, making it the biggest BLE on record and there are still four weeks to go.

 

Over 300 exhibitors (representing thousands of licensable brands) including 84 who are new for 2026 are now confirmed for the event, which takes place 6-8 October 2026 at Excel London. BLE is Europe’s leading event for licensing and brand extension. It’s free to attend right up until 5th October, after which a standard pass will cost £30.

 

“The fact so many exhibitors, including 84 new to show, will be at BLE next month is testament to the relevance of this event in Europe, and also the power of brand licensing in business – for brands, for manufacturers, for retailers and for consumers. The industry is now worth nearly $400bn globally. That’s twice the size of the games industry, which in itself is bigger than movies and music combined. It’s a testament to the growing impact and importance of the brand licensing industry – a force to be reckoned with in the global business landscape,” said BLE event director Ella Haynes.

 

“What I love this year about BLE is the breadth of businesses on the floor – from huge studios in character and entertainment, to fashion brands, heritage, sport, design, food and beverage, publishing, music (Universal Music Group is debuting) and so much more. Our sports zone line up is really strong – up 17% year on year – and we’re delighted to welcome ATP Tour and CR7 Life. Museums and heritage continues to push boundaries and we’re so excited to have Tate Enterprises, The National Gallery, The National Trust for Scotland and Rene Magritte among the new brands joining us for 2026.”

 

New exhibitors at BLE this year originate from all over the globe, with six each from the US and China, four from Spain and three each from the Netherlands, UAE, Italy and Japan.

 

Returning exhibitors include Amazon, Warner Bros. Discovery, Arsenal FC, BBC Studios, CAA Brand Management/Beanstalk, Caroline Mickler Licensing, Cloud Co Entertainment, Crunchyroll, English Heritage, Imperial War Museum, Konami, Mattel, Moomin, Paramount Skydance Corporation, Sanrio, The Lego Group, Universal Studios and Wildbrain CPLG plus over 250 more.

 

Major retailers and licensees from across Europe already signed up to attend include Lidl, Decathlon, H&M, Inditex, Mad Beauty, Tesco, Primark, Ty, tonies, C&A, Pandora, Clementoni and many more.