The biggest and most exciting part of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise has to easily be the existence of Gundam plastic model kits, with these collectibles actually helping to put the brand on the map when the original anime wasn’t as big of a hit as expected. Now, one of the manifestations of this collectible success is headed to Canada, with fans in the Great White North soon having a temporary Gundam haven of their own.
Gundam Base Pop-Up World Tour 2026 is coming to Vancouver, bringing the allure of Japanese hobby shops dedicated to the franchise to Canada. This means loads of Gunpla, including several exclusive kits and figures to be purchased. While the event isn’t scheduled to result in a permanent location, Canadian fans will soon be able to enjoy the experience for almost a month.
Canada Is the Latest Stop for the Gundam Base Pop-Up World Tour 2026
Promo image for the Gundam Base World Pop-Up Tour 2026 Vancouver event.Image via Bandai
The Gundam Base Pop-Up World Tour is a traveling event that sets up shop all around the world, manifesting in pop-up shops based on the Gundam Base stores seen in Japan and other parts of Asia. There are multiple Gundam Base stores outside Japan, but many countries don’t have permanent locations. Thus, the Gundam Base Pop-Up World Tour is a way to bring these venues to different areas, even if it’s only temporary.
Vancouver is the location for the 2026 tour, though it’s unknown if there will be other stops throughout the year. Besides official Gundam plastic model kits from Bandai, fans can look forward to limited-edition figures and likely exclusive kits made for the location-based event. Countless other types of Gundam memorabilia and merchandise will also be available, with various displays used to showcase completed kits and action figures.
Gundam Base Pop-Up World Tour 2026 – Vancouver will be hosted at Metropolis at Metrotown – Grand Court in British Columbia, with the event taking place from March 7-22, 2026. This means that in about a month, Canadian Gundam fans will be able to immerse themselves in a spot dedicated entirely to the Real Robot franchise while buying loads of Gunpla model kits and seeing what all the hype for the Gundam Base stores is all about.
It’s especially important because Gundam Base pop-ups aren’t particularly common in Canada, and it’s already pegged to be an exciting and popular event. Thus, fans will want to play ahead to be able to peruse Bandai’s offerings before the end of March. Thankfully for collectors in other parts of North America, the experience can now be enjoyed year-round. Opening in late 2025, Illinois’ Gundam Base Chicago is the first permanent Gundam Base store in North America, and it could be the first of several.
