May 27, 2021

Get ready for a musical summer—Pokémon GO Fest 2021 is coming soon!

Get ready for a musical summer—Pokémon GO Fest 2021 is coming soon!

Trainers,

With this year being both the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pokémon and the fifth anniversary of Pokémon GO, we’re simply jazzed to share more details of what’s in store for Pokémon GO Fest 2021, happening on July 17 and 18! It’s been five whole years of Pokémon GO, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. To celebrate, ticket prices will be reduced from USD $14.99 to $5! †

We’re very excited to welcome Google Play as the official event sponsor! Learn more here.

Pokémon GO Fest 2021 will take place over two days, with each day providing a unique experience. You’ll be able to participate in both days of the event with one ticket.

Pokémon GO Fest 2021 Day 1: Catch!

On Saturday, July 17, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, all Trainers will enjoy the following features, regardless of whether they have an event ticket.

  • Hourly habitats are back This year will feature four themed habitat hours—Jungle, Desert Mountain, Ocean Beach, and Cave—rotating throughout the event. During each habitat hour, certain Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild.
    • The Jungle habitat will feature Pokémon such as Scyther, Aipom, Froakie, and more.
    • The Desert Mountain habitat will feature Pokémon such as Skarmory, Shieldon, Hippopotas, and more.
    • The Ocean Beach habitat will feature Pokémon such as Dratini, Swablu, Alomomola, and more.
    • The Cave habitat will feature Pokémon such as Roggenrola, Galarian Stunfisk, Deino, and more.
  • Raids on Saturday will feature Pokémon such as Hitmontop, Cranidos, and Deino—plus, Galarian Ponyta and Galarian Zigzagoon wearing special costumes will be appearing in raids!
  • Pokémon related to music—such as Chimecho, Kricketot, Audino, and a special costumed Pikachu—will be appearing in the wild throughout the day.
  • Get ready for Pokémon GO Fest with a free event shirt avatar item.
  • Shiny Whismur, Chimecho, Audino, and Tympole will be making their Pokémon GO debut during the event. If you’re lucky, you may encounter one!

On Saturday, July 17, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, Pokémon GO Fest 2021 ticket holders will be able to enjoy the following features!

  • Pokémon GO Fest 2021 is a music festival, and you’re the show director! Help Professor Willow and the team leaders put on an incredible concert celebration by choosing between certain Pokémon to join the festivities. Complete this Special Research for special rewards, including an encounter with a Mythical Pokémon, a shirt avatar item, and an exclusive avatar pose! After you complete the Special Research, take a snapshot for a surprise!
    • Pikachu Rock Star or Pikachu Pop Star—your choice will determine the in-game music that will play for you during the event. The Pokémon music producer Junichi Masuda has produced brand-new tracks just for Pokémon GO Fest 2021, including a rock-and-rolling track for Pikachu Rock Star fans, a high-energy electro-pop song for Pikachu Pop Star stans, and more!
    • You’ll also get to fill out the rest of your musical group! Will you pick Galarian Ponyta or Galarian Zigzagoon? Gardevoir or Flygon? All these Pokémon will be dressed to impress in special event costumes!
  • The Global Challenge Arena is back this year. On Saturday, ticket holders will work together to complete a collaborative challenge each hour. If they complete the challenge in time, they’ll earn a bonus for the remainder of the hour. You can check the Today View to keep track of global progress!
  • You’ll be able to complete four Collection Challenges, each themed after a habitat hour.
  • During each habitat hour, certain Pokémon will be attracted to Incense.
    • Jungle: Unown F, Unown G, Ludicolo, Chatot, Leafeon, and Serperior.
    • Desert Mountain: Flareon, Unown F, Unown G, Tyranitar, Flygon, and Throh.
    • Ocean Beach: Gyarados, Vaporeon, Azumarill, Unown F, Unown G, and Sawk.
    • Cave: Umbreon, Unown F, Unown G, Gardevoir, Absol, and Galvantula.
  • During event hours, Pokémon appearing in the wild and attracted to Incense will have an increased chance of being Shiny! It will be easier to discover Shiny Pokémon (in the wild and those attracted by Incense) on Saturday than on Sunday.
  • Shiny Unown F, Shiny Throh, and Shiny Sawk will be making their Pokémon GO debut during the event!

Pokémon GO Fest 2021 Day 2: Raid!

On Sunday, July 18, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, all Trainers will enjoy the following.

  • Sunday’s gameplay will be focused on raids, and some of your favorites will be returning for this epic celebration! Stay tuned for more info.
  • Miss any Pokémon on the first day of the event? Don’t worry! All Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild on Saturday will be appearing again on Sunday during event hours.

On Sunday, July 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, ticket holders will be able to enjoy the following.

  • Earn an extra 10,000 XP in raid rewards when you complete a Raid Battle!
  • Spin Gym Photo Discs to earn up to 10 Raid Passes. These can be used for in-person raids.
  • Complete Timed Research to earn up to eight Remote Raid Passes. These can be used to join a raid from anywhere.
  • Pick up a free event bundle containing three Remote Raid Passes! This will be available in the shop on Sunday, July 18, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.
  • All Pokémon attracted to Incense from Saturday will be attracted to Incense during event hours on Sunday.

Both days

And that’s all for what’s exclusive to each day! All Trainers can expect both event days to feature the following.

  • Trainer photos will be featured in the Today View Share your photos with #PokemonGOFest2021 for a chance to see them featured during the event.
  • All Lure Modules activated during event hours will last for three hours
  • Special music created by Pokémon music producer Junichi Masuda will be playing in the app throughout the event.
  • 1/2 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during event hours.
  • Pokémon hatching from 7 km eggs include Igglybuff, Chingling, Audino, and more.
  • Event-exclusive Field Research tasks, special on-map visual effects, and more!

Ticket holders can expect both days of the event to feature the following.

  • Open Gifts or spin PokéStops to get special event stickers.
  • Take snapshots on both event days for a surprise!
  • Unown F and Unown G will be attracted to Incense throughout the event. If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!

And that’s not all!

  • With Google Play as the official event sponsor of Pokémon GO Fest 2021, Trainers can expect fun surprises and exclusive perks.
  • Google Play Points multiplier! From now until May 30, Google Play members will get 4× Google Play Points on all purchases made in Pokémon GO, including tickets.†† There will also be a special earn rate from July 12th to July 18th. Join now if you haven’t already!
  • Plus, Trainers using Android devices on Saturday, July 17th, will be eligible for an exclusive Sponsored Gift to help power their Pokémon GO Fest experience. Stay tuned for more details.
  • The print-at-home kit is returning this year for Trainers around the world!
  • Trainers in the United States and Canada will be able to purchase a new Pokémon GO Fest T-shirt from PokemonCenter.com! More details to come.
  • Also be sure to check out the Niantic Shop to equip yourself with new limited-edition items for a day of adventure and exploration. Available for shipping to US addresses only.

We’ve outlined differences between the free and paid Pokémon GO Fest experience here.

How to purchase a ticket

Tickets are now available in the in-app shop! Last year, Pokémon GO Fest tickets cost US$14.99, but in celebration of Pokémon GO’s fifth anniversary, this year’s tickets are only US$4.99.†

  1. In the shop, tap the Pokémon GO Fest 2021 image.
  2. Tap the Buy button.
  3. You’ll then see a pop-up indicating that you’ve received a ticket for Pokémon GO Fest 2021.
  4. After you tap OK, you can find the ticket in your Item Bag.
  5. A few days before the event, you’ll receive a medal. When you open the app during event hours on Saturday or Sunday, you’ll receive access to the Pokémon GO Fest 2021 experience, including the Special Research story!
  6. After you’ve obtained the Special Research story line, you can complete it at any time.

We can’t wait for you all to experience the musical adventure we have in store. While we’ve yet to meet again in the same park and under the same sky, we hope this year’s experience can make playing from your favorite places feel extra special.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated. For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.

—The Pokémon GO team

† Tickets will be available for purchase in the in-app shop for USD $4.99 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency, plus any applicable taxes and fees). Tickets cannot be purchased with PokéCoins. Tickets to this event are nonrefundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service).
†† Google Play Points are available only in select countries.