Why wait until Christmas to start unwrapping? This year’s pop-culture advent calendars go far beyond bite-sized chocolates — and Variety’s roundup of the best pop-culture advent calendars for 2026 shows brands getting increasingly creative with the December tradition. Topping the list: Bluey, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Marvel and more.
Best pop-culture advent calendars 2026 (Credits: Variety)
Bluey, Nightmare Before Christmas and Marvel Lead 2026’s Advent Calendar Lineup
This year’s most coveted calendars lean into beloved fandoms. Bluey gets a holiday-ready box for families, The Nightmare Before Christmas celebrates its enduring spooky-season appeal, and Marvel delivers hero-themed surprises for comic fans. On top of that, Lego is bringing holiday cheer to a galaxy far, far away with a Star Wars-themed calendar.
Many of this year’s best boxes are also designed to be reusable — packed with collectible figurines, ornaments, and keepsakes meant to outlast the holiday season, rather than disappearing in 25 days.
Nespresso x Swarovski and a $1,200 Bloomingdale’s Beauty Calendar Go Luxury
At the luxury end of the list, Nespresso has teamed up with Swarovski for a sparkly caffeine fix, while Bloomingdale’s is packing more than $1,200 worth of luxury beauty products into a single box. These high-end options make the case for treating yourself all December long.
With prices and styles ranging from family-friendly to full luxury, 2026’s advent calendar season looks set to be one of the biggest yet — and for collectors, the reusable and figure-filled editions are the ones to grab before they sell out.
Also Read: Pokémon LEGO Sets Are Selling Out — Why Best Buy Is the Best Bet This Holiday Season | Best Buy Black Friday 2026 Sale Schedule Announced: Deals Run October 30 to December 24
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
