Trainers,

Pokémon GO Fest 2021 is quickly approaching, and we’re so excited to finally share more details on what to look forward to this year—including a new Ultra Unlock! Want to catch up on what we already shared? Check out the main event announcement, the Sunday gameplay reveal, and the Google Play sponsorship details blog!

In addition to previously announced Pokémon GO Fest 2021 details, all Trainers can look forward to the following.

• Every Trainer will be able to make up to six Special Trades each day from Friday, July 16, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Sunday, July 18, 2021, at 11:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).
• Pikachu wearing a special Meloetta-inspired hat will be appearing in the wild during event hours on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!
• During event hours on Saturday, July 17, the following Pokémon will be appearing in raids:
  • Galarian Ponyta and Galarian Zigzagoon wearing Meloetta-inspired hats will be appearing in one-star raids, as will Deino. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Galarian Ponyta, a Shiny Galarian Zigzagoon, or a Shiny Deino!
  • Galarian Weezing, Hitmontop, and Cranidos will be appearing in three-star raids.
• Evolve Kirlia (Ralts’s Evolution) during event hours on Saturday or Sunday to get a Gardevoir that knows Synchronoise.
• Evolve Vibrava (Trapinch’s Evolution) during event hours on Saturday or Sunday to get a Flygon that knows Earth Power.

Pokémon GO Fest 2021 ticket holders can also look forward to the features listed below.

• Certain Pokémon appearing during the event will know special attacks! Please note that only ticket holders will encounter these Pokémon.
  • Pikachu Pop Star will know Draining Kiss, and Pikachu Rock Star will know Meteor Mash. Pick the one you’d like to encounter as you complete your Special Research!
  • Gardevoir will know Synchronoise, and Flygon will know Earth Power—both will potentially be wearing Meloetta-inspired hats! As you complete your Special Research, you’ll be prompted to select which costumed Pokémon you’d like to encounter. This decision will determine if you encounter Gardevoir wearing a Meloetta-inspired hat or Flygon wearing a Meloetta-inspired hat during the event. Both Pokémon will be appearing as Special Research reward encounters, and, if you’re lucky, will also be attracted to Incense. The Pokémon you don’t select will be attracted to Incense during event hours, but it won’t be wearing a hat.
• Make sure to take a snapshot during event hours on Saturday after completing your Special Research! By doing so, you’ll encounter either Pikachu Pop Star or Pikachu Rock Star, depending on your earlier choice.
• Make sure to take a snapshot during event hours on Sunday after completing your Special Research! By doing so, you’ll encounter either Gardevoir or Flygon wearing a Meloetta-inspired hat, depending on your earlier choice.
• Still not sure which Pikachu to pick? In addition to determining what music will accompany your Pokémon GO Fest experience, this choice will also affect which avatar pose you receive!
  • Trainers who select Pikachu Pop Star will get an iconic pose.
  • Trainers who select Pikachu Rock Star will get a rockin’ pose.

Speaking of avatars, avatar items exclusive to Pokémon GO Fest 2021 will also be available!

• Some exciting music-themed avatar items will be making their debut in the in-game shop on Friday, July 16, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. PDT (GMT −7)., including shirts with Whismur-, Loudred-, and Exploud-inspired patterns, face stickers, and a guitar case backpack!
• Trainers with tickets for Pokémon GO Fest 2021 will be rewarded with an exclusive Meloetta Shirt avatar item once they complete the event’s Special Research.
• Don’t forget—the Pokémon GO Fest 2021 shirt avatar item is free for everyone, regardless of whether you have a ticket, and will be available starting on Friday, July 16, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. PDT. Let’s all celebrate Pokémon GO Fest together!
  • Trainers with shipping addresses in the United States, Canada, or Japan can also purchase a real commemorative shirt while supplies last. Learn more here.

Rotating habitat schedule

Similar to last year’s event, themed habitat hours will rotate globally in the following order: Jungle, Desert Mountain, Ocean Beach, and Cave. This rotation will begin with the Jungle habitat on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. in the earliest participating time zone (UTC + 14) and rotate every hour, on the hour, until the event ends in the latest participating time zone. Note: Trainers will only experience habitats during event hours on Saturday, July 17, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.

All Trainers will have the opportunity to enjoy each habitat hour twice during event hours on Saturday.

Pokémon GO Fest 2021 Ultra Unlock

Trainers will be able to work together in the Global Challenge Arena! This exclusive feature will be available only to ticket holders. In the Global Challenge Arena, Trainers will have the chance to join forces in order to complete a collaborative challenge each hour. If Trainers complete a challenge, they will earn a bonus for the remainder of the hour. You can check the Global Challenge Arena screen to keep track of global progress!

Complete a certain number of challenges in the Global Challenge Arena to unlock the following bonuses that will occur after Pokémon GO Fest 2021. Complete a total of 24 challenges in order to unlock all three!

Ultra Unlock Part 1: Time

If Trainers complete a total of eight global challenges, they’ll gain access to Ultra Unlock Part 1: Time. The flow of time will be disrupted! Pokémon from various eras will be appearing more often. Part 1: Time will run from Friday, July 23, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Ultra Unlock Part 2: Space

If Trainers complete a total of 16 global challenges, they’ll gain access to Ultra Unlock Part 2: Space. As Part 1: Time wraps up, we’ll set our eyes to its other dimensional counterpart: space! Space itself will be distorted as Pokémon from various places appear! Part 2: Space will run from Friday, August 6, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, August 17, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Ultra Unlock Part 3: ???

If Trainers complete a total of 24 global challenges, they’ll unlock Ultra Unlock Part 3: ???. What will happen once Parts 1 and 2 are over? Will these abnormal events continue to happen? What awaits us during Part 3? Stay tuned, Trainers—we’ll keep you posted on our findings! Part 3: ??? will run from Friday, August 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

We can’t wait for you all to experience the musical adventure we have in store. We hope this year’s Pokémon GO Fest 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