Bruno Mars helped kick off September in Philly with two sold out shows at the Linc September 1st and 2nd. Tens of thousands of fans sang and danced to hits like Treasure, 24K Magic, Marry You, Locked Out of Heaven, Just the Way You Are, Uptown Funk and many others. The Romantic Tour did not disappoint, and neither did the merch. For anyone looking for something extra cute, there was a unique Bruno Mars and Hello Kitty pop-up in Philly too.
Not Your Typical Merch Booth
Aside from the regular Bruno Mars options at the Linc, fans could also venture into the Fashion District for a whole other selection. They had pop-up store set up at the Fashion District Mall filled with exclusive merch from the Bruno Mars x Hello Kitty collaboration.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIWait, Bruno Mars and Hello Kitty?
Sounds random, right? The collaboration apparently began in December 2024 during the Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary celebration and Bruno Mars’ Las Vegas residency. Hello Kitty maker Sanrio and Bruno Mars teamed up and combined their fan bases. These adorable designs feature Bruno Mars as a sort of new Sanrio character alongside Hello Kitty. Somehow the combination of these two – seemingly very different aesthetics – just works. Don’t believe me? Check out the merch available at the recent Philly pop-up.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The pop-up shops are setting up in major tour cities, and Philly was lucky enough to be included. Any fan that ventured into the Fashion District mall for the exclusive merch was able to check out a whole store of limited-edition t-shirts, hoodies, hats, tote bags, stickers, and water bottles. No concert ticket needed.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
My kids and I happened to be in Center City Philadelphia on the day of Bruno Mar’s September 2nd show. We decided to make a detour into the Fashion District to check out the pop-up.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
Having no idea what to expect, I was immediately glad we decided to stop by. Upbeat Bruno Mars music was playing (my kids danced to it immediately), and the entire store was aesthetically pleasing and fun. We left without buying a thing, but were able to keep some photo souvenirs with the free photo ops they set up throughout the store.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The way it worked was a tad different from other stores. Similar to a regular merch booth, actually. When you walked into the store, you were handed a poster-sized sort of ‘menu’. It had everything available to buy, along with photos and prices for each. You could walk around and browse everything in the store and see the sizes and touch everything, but you don’t actually take anything to the register. Just find it on the merch ‘menu’ you were given, and head to the register and let them know what you want to buy.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The shirts below with the collars were my favorite. $95 is a bit out of my price range for a shirt, but I would have loved to take one of these home.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The “Bruno Mars Heart Face Shadow Tee” below was really great too, and $20 cheaper.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The Bruno Mars Hello Kitty pop-up shop was spacious with lots of black, white and red and several photos ops to pose in front of. We especially liked the Photo Booth option, although the kids weren’t tall enough to reach the camera. They had to stand up in their wagon to get within view, and we ended up cropping the top “Bruno Mars” part off because of the giant space in between.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
A cute little stop with some photos to take home. Aside from chasing my children and trying to prevent them from touching/breaking/staining anything, it was a great time.
Worth The Trip?
The pop-ups are separate from the merch at the stadiums, but in my opinion, it’s worth the trip for the photo ops alone. The photos and merch items are a perfect souvenir for any Bruno Mars fan. Also a good option if you weren’t able to afford or secure concert tickets (or you have small children and never get out to concerts anymore). That too.
Book your Bruno Mars Tickets and find the next pop-up merch shop HERE