List of references in real life

The following is an alphabetical list of Mario-related sightings and references outside of print, video game, film, television, or Internet-based media.

At the end of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Shinzo Abe (the prime minister of Japan) was given the opportunity to give a presentation in preparation for the next Summer Olympics: the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. His intro was preceded by a short skit featuring Abe, where he is driving in Tokyo and suddenly realizes that he cannot make it in time to Rio. He then transforms into Mario, albeit with the "M" on his cap saying Tokyo instead, and takes off running. While running, he meets with Doraemon, who pulls out a Warp Pipe that drills its way through the ground, carving a path from Tokyo to Rio. Mario thanks Doraemon and hops into the pipe, plummeting towards Rio, holding a red ball (symbolizing the hope of Japan that it carries to the rest of the world ). As he reaches the end of the Pipe, the scene transitions to Maracanã Stadium (where the closing ceremony was taking place), focusing on a Warp Pipe at the center; Abe, fully dressed in Mario regalia, then hops out of the pipe while the Warp Pipe and Mushroom sound effects play. After Abe leaves the pipe, he takes off the Mario outfit (while already wearing a suit underneath it) and leaves it on the ground. After the performance, the "Course Clear" tune from Super Mario Bros. plays.

The Swedish company Bergsala that handles the distribution of Nintendo products in Scandanavia uses Mario extensively around its office in the Kungsbacka locality. This includes a road named "Marios Gata" ("Mario's Street") and numerous signs, including a large pole that is viewable from the nearby freeway and acts as a local landmark.

On August 25, 2016, Bergsala held its 35th anniversary event that saw the original Mario statue, which was considered a poor rendition of the character and had been compared to Saddam Hussein, being replaced by a newer statue featuring him in modern appearance atop a Warp Pipe.

Donkey Kone
There is a fleet of "Donkey Kone" ice cream trucks operating in Toronto, Canada. As well as the title, the side also shows a gorilla holding a girl, referencing the Donkey Kong arcade game. In addition, the two boys flanking the gorilla are dressed in red and green T-shirts and blue overall shorts, clearly modeled after Mario and Luigi.

Donkey Kong monster truck
There was a monster truck driven by Frank Krmel and Kreg Christensen featuring Donkey Kong. This truck ran from 2007 until 2010.

Foxtrot-01 Murals
A nuclear bunker in Nebraska that is stocked with Minuteman III missiles is known for having murals featuring several Mario characters, first reported by National Public Radio. One mural features Mario, based off a render from Dance Dance: Revolution: Mario Mix, and Bowser, based off a render from Mario Kart DS, next to a mushroom cloud. Princess Peach, Wario, and the art resembling Super Mario Bros. 3's cover have also been shown.

Mario was featured alongside numerous other videogame consoles and series as part of the Game On travelling exhibition. As well as information and a poster, original Donkey Kong concept sketches drawn by Shigeru Miyamoto were provided by Nintendo for the exhibit.

Mario is the only videogame character with a wax statue in the Hollywood Wax Museum.

Mario Monti, the prime minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, was nicknamed "Super Mario" due to his work in international finance.

Miami "Nintendo Fun Day"
In 1991, the mayors of Los Angeles, California and Miami, Florida both declared "Nintendo Fun Days." The one in Miami was celebrated with the appearance of a Mario mascot and billed as "Mario Gets His Day In Miami."

In collaboration with Nintendo of Canada, the wax museum Musée Grévin Montreal created an exhibit based on the Mario franchise titled "Super Mario and Friends: The Exhibit!", running from October 7, 2016 to January 8, 2017. The exhibit features several games spanning across the entire series, multiple life-sized figures of the characters (though most of them focus on Mario), and occasional interactions with Mario, who walks around the exhibit to speak with visitors.

Negative Celsius
The Malaysian food truck vendor, Negative Celsius, uses a "Super Macaron" sign to advertise their macaroon ice cream burgers, which depicts Mario's signature hat and moustache above and below a side-view of a pink version of the desert.

Starting around 1995, Nintendo collaborated with the Mexican theme park Reino Aventura to create two attractions based on Nintendo's properties, mainly the Mario franchise. The first attraction was a castle themed after Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64, which contained arcade games unrelated to Nintendo. The second attraction was named "Casa de Mario" (Spanish for "Mario's House") and it was a retheme of a previous attraction. The attraction, which had Mario's face painted outside, was a tour where guests learned about Mario and Nintendo's history, with various rooms themed after Nintendo's games. The Mario and Donkey Kong-themed rooms included two rooms themed after Super Mario 64, which consisted in a room recreating the interior of Peach's Castle with a Bob-omb, a Bob-omb Buddy, and a red ! Block and a room featuring a statue of Bowser, and a jungle-themed room based on the Donkey Kong Country series. The exit of the attraction was a Nintendo store where guests could play Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64 games. The attractions were closed after the park was sold to Premier Parks in 1999, becoming.

Other Mario-themed attractions would open 26 years after Reino Aventura's attractions in Super Nintendo World at in 2021.

"Super Mario" street
The suburb of Arcosur in the city of Zaragoza, Spain named a street after Super Mario, called "Avenida de Super Mario Bros." Upon naming the street, residents of the town held a celebration in honor of Mario's 25th anniversary.

To promote Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, starting April 20, 2017, 650+ brick and mortar stores in the United States were themed with elements from the game, including shopping carts to be like karts, the entrances being like the finish line complete with Lakitu, and the red spheres having Mario and Luigi's faces.

"NO LIMIT! Parade"
The 2023 "NO LIMIT! Parade" at Universal Studios Japan features an unit based on the Mario Kart series. It features small floats with mascots of Yoshi, Princess Peach and Luigi on their karts on a cloud with Coins, Bananas, and Lightnings, and a big float based on the Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe appearance of, with a mascot of Mario on his kart and a statue of Bowser based on from Mario Kart 8. Additionally, the parade features dancers wearing costumes of the Koopalings and Piranha Plants, and the unit is preceded by dancers on s wearing helmets based on the Green Shell, Red Shell, and Spiny Shell.

The Wade Shows, Inc. traveling carnival has a ride based on the Mario franchise, titled "Marioland". Images of Mario and Luigi are painted on the sides of certain parts, along with other Mario decals like Bullet Bills and a Beanstalk. The bulk of the attraction does not seem to be based on the Mario franchise beyond its visual motif.