Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the wider franchise and the tenth anniversary of the location-based mobile game, Niantic has announced more details about Pokémon Go Fest 2026. This multi-stage, in-person celebration is set to take place across Tokyo, Chicago, and Copenhagen, culminating in a global finale in July.
If you've never experienced one before, a Go Fest is one of the biggest Pokémon Go events there is. It combines unique, location-specific gameplay with an in-person event, filled with photo ops, exclusive merch, and chances to connect with your local Pokémon Go community. The biggest draw of this year's Go Fest is the chance to be one of the first trainers to catch the mythical Pokémon, Zeraora, as it makes its debut in the mobile game. However, even if you attend multiple events, you can only catch one, so let's hope you find one with good stats.
The three in-person Pokémon Go Fest events for 2026 also see the return of the fan-favorite gen 1 Pokémon, Mewtwo, in five-star raids. If you're lucky, you might even encounter a shiny one! These events are perfect for raids, as they bring a high concentration of trainers together in one place to team up against these powerful Pokémon. Pikachu is also sporting a new style for the event, repping a baseball cap themed after each of the three Pokémon Go teams. You can find the Team Instinct hat in Chicago, the Team Valor hat in Copenhagen, and the Team Mystic hat in Tokyo.
Another region-specific feature of Pokémon Go Fest 2026 is the appearance of Paldean Tauros and its two alternate forms. Normally, you can only encounter Combat Breed Paldean Tauros in the Iberian Peninsula, but it has migrated over to three-star raids in Copenhagen. Similarly, you can encounter Aqua Breed Paldean Tauros in Tokyo, and Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros in Chicago. However, Comfey, the flower Pokémon that usually only spawns in Hawaii, will appear in all three host cities in the wild, so make sure to keep an eye out and take some time to smell the flowers!
There are tons more to explore in each of the three host cities, so make sure to read up about all the details on the Pokémon Go Fest 2026 website. More details about the global finale are on the way soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Here are the details you need to know for all of the Go Fest events:
- May 29 - June 1: Tokyo Waterfront City, Tokyo, Japan
- June 5 - 7: Grant Park, Chicago, USA
- June 12 - 14: Fælledparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
- July 11 - 12: Global
If you want to get some practice in before the big event, check out our Pokémon Go raids guide to organize a raid night with your friends. Or, if you're running low on Poké Balls, visit our Pokémon Go codes page to stock up.