M&S has launched a Percy Pig advent calendar – but what's inside might surprise you

With 74 days to go until Christmas, there’s still plenty of time to choose your Advent calendar or, if you’re anything like me, justify buying more than one to be safe and finishing it off before the official countdown even begins. This week I'm excited to see that M&S has added a new Percy Pig Advent Calendar to its festive line-up and it’s likely to appeal to fans of the much-loved pink character.

Following hot on the heels of the much hyped (and now sold out) £100 M&S Foodhall Advent Calendar, I'm happy to say this one is priced at a slightly more affordable £7. There is, however, one detail worth knowing before you add it to your basket: this is primarily a chocolate advent calendar, rather than a box of Percy Pig sweets as shoppers might expect. The fruity gums are present as a separate bag of Merry Percymas sweets, saved only for Christmas Day. Ahead of that, it contains 24 solid milk chocolate shapes, each hidden behind a numbered door. The chocolates are described as creamy and moreish, with Percy-themed designs making the daily countdown feel suitably festive and cheery.

For me, this strikes a halfway house between a traditional chocolate calendar and the original Percy Pig sweets. You get a small chocolate each day, followed by a full bag of fruit-flavoured gums when the big day finally arrives. It’s also suitable for vegetarians, although you should always check the packaging for the latest allergen information.

Those who do prefer the classic gummy sweets need not despair, however. M&S is also bringing back its Merry Percymas sweet bag for the 10th year running, which is ideal for sharing, stocking fillers or quietly opening before December has even begun. The new Percy Pig Festive Fun bag adds a more colourful mixture of fizzy Christmas shapes, including piglets, gingerbread people, stars and trees.

If loaded chunky chocolate is more your thing, M&S has launched a second Advent calendar too. The Big Daddy Advent Calendar costs £12 and follows the popularity of the indulgent Big Daddy chocolate range, including its pistachio version inspired by the Dubai chocolate trend. It contains a mixture of Big Daddy peanut and pistachio bites, with a larger Little Big Daddy bar behind door 25.

Both calendars are available in M&S stores and online at Ocado now. With festive favourites already attracting plenty of attention, I wouldn’t leave it until December if Percy Pig is your preferred Christmas companion.

For more Christmas countdown inspiration, read our review of the best Advent calendars for 2026.