IKEA has officially done the most IKEA thing imaginable and turned their latest April Fools’ joke into an actual real product.
Yep, the flatpack giant is planning on giving away meatball‑flavoured lollipops this June after people were apparently way too into the idea to let it stay a joke.
The cursed (or iconic?) sweet was first teased on 1 April by Ingka Group — IKEA’s biggest retail operator — as a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to its legendary Swedish meatballs. But instead of everyone collectively agreeing it was unhinged and moving on, customers showed so much interest that IKEA has now confirmed it’s actually happening.
The meatball lollipops are launching in hundreds of IKEA stores worldwide as part of a short‑term giveaway. And before you ask: no, you can’t buy them. IKEA is making around one million of the lollipops, but they’ll only be handed out for free at selected tasting events in stores throughout June.
Almost immediately, social media was split straight down the middle. Some people were fully on board, calling it “deranged but genius” and “exactly why IKEA can’t be stopped,” while others questioned whether humanity had finally gone too far.
One person joked that they’d “try it once for the plot,” while another said IKEA was “one step away from turning Köttbullar into a lip balm.” A lot of people simply asked why, which honestly felt fair.
According to IKEA, the lollipop was developed by Chupa Chups (yes, that Chupa Chups) and is meant to capture the flavour vibes of Swedish meatballs and lingonberry — just… in lollipop form. Which is certainly a sentence.
Javier Quiñones, commercial manager at Ingka Group, said the brand basically couldn’t help itself after seeing how people reacted to the original joke.
“On 1 April, we invited people to imagine a meatball lollipop,” he said. “And we couldn’t help but take it one step further.”
IKEA says the whole thing fits into its broader “food and everyday joy” agenda, aka reminding us all that eating slightly bizarre snacks is part of having a nice life. The company also pointed to research suggesting people are still very much into indulgent, nostalgic treats — especially when they’re familiar but weird enough to talk about.
Chupa Chups, meanwhile, says the partnership was a chance to reimagine one of IKEA’s most iconic foods in a way that would properly surprise people. Which, mission accomplished.
Martin Hofling, global marketing manager at Chupa Chups, said the brand was immediately interested when IKEA made the call, describing the lollipop as a “playful tribute” to a flavour people instantly associate with IKEA.
There is, however, a catch. The lollipops won’t be available in Sweden, Japan, India, Serbia, Croatia, Romania or Slovenia — sorry to those countries specifically. IKEA is advising customers elsewhere to keep an eye on their local store and social media pages to find out when tasting events are happening.
So yes. Grab your Billy bookcase, your £1 hot dog, and maybe — just maybe — a meatball lollipop. June is going to be weird.
