Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago
Event Overview
Location: Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Dates: June 5–7, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. CDT (Park and citywide event hours vary by ticket)
Trainers can look forward to exceptional coaching by Team Instinct’s leader, Spark, during an exciting park session in Grant Park that will help them become their very best. Ticket-holding Trainers will also set off on a citywide adventure across four distinct City Districts in Chicago, developing their skills and earning a unique in-game Pokémon GO Expert medal.
All event gameplay is exclusive to ticket holders. You will only be able to experience the park experience within Grant Park during the date and time noted on your event ticket. Citywide gameplay requires either a Base event ticket with citywide gameplay, a Citywide Gameplay add-on, or a City Explorer ticket.
Buy tickets for Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago.
Bonuses 
All-day bonuses for ticket holders
All ticket holders will receive the following bonuses and rewards anywhere in Chicago on their ticketed day from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time.
During Ticketed Citywide Gameplay Days
The following bonuses and rewards will be active anywhere in Chicago on your ticketed citywide gameplay day during event hours. These apply on each day you have citywide gameplay (Base event ticket, Citywide Gameplay add-on, or City Explorer ticket).
Ticket add-ons such as Raid Lover, Egg-thusiast, and Citywide Gameplay are available to further enhance your experience on eligible days.
* Ticket-holding Trainers will have an increased chance to encounter Shiny Pokémon. Shiny Pokémon are not guaranteed by purchasing a ticket.
Features 
What’s New
Trainers attending in-person GO Fest events will be the first to investigate and discover a Mythical Pokémon’s first appearance in Pokémon GO!
Ticket-holding Trainers attending the in-person event in Grant Park will conduct Special Research that leads to an encounter with Zeraora, the Thunderclap Pokémon—and it’s all included in your event ticket.
Ticket-holding Trainers can only encounter Zeraora once no matter how many Pokémon GO Fest 2026 Special Research stories they acquire and complete. If you obtain more than one Special Research story that leads to Zeraora by attending multiple GO Fest park session events, all of the Special Research stories after the first one will award Zeraora Candy instead of an additional encounter with Zeraora.
* Special Research does not expire, so you can complete it at your own pace.
Mewtwo returns to five-star raids
Mewtwo, the Genetic Pokémon, is returning to raids during Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago. Mewtwo will appear in citywide five-star Raid Battles throughout the course of the event and is a powerful addition to any battle-focused team.
If you’re looking to coordinate raids, consider using the official RSVP tools to organize with your community.
Tip your caps to new costumed Pikachu
Trainers who attend Pokémon GO Fest 2026 in-person events will be able to encounter some stylish Pikachu wearing Pokémon GO team hats.
At Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago, you may encounter Pikachu wearing a Team Instinct hat. Other team-hat Pikachu will appear at the Tokyo and Copenhagen events.
If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
Shiny Wash Rotom debuts in Pokémon GO
Wash Rotom originally made its Pokémon GO debut in 2020, and now lucky Trainers may encounter Shiny Wash Rotom for the first time at the in-person GO Fest events in 2026. Keep an eye out for event communications and park signage to learn how Wash Rotom will appear during your session.
Paldean Tauros across GO Fest cities
The Wild Bull Pokémon of Paldea will make appearances across all three in-person GO Fest events, with each city highlighting a different breed in raids.
- Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros will appear in three-star raids in Chicago and throughout Grant Park. This dual Fighting- and Fire-type Paldean Tauros is normally found in the Eastern Hemisphere.
- Aqua Breed Paldean Tauros will appear in three-star raids in Tokyo.
- Combat Breed Paldean Tauros will appear in three-star raids in Copenhagen.
Only Trainers with a ticket to Pokémon GO Fest 2026 may encounter the Shiny versions of these Paldean Tauros forms.
Comfey in Chicago and beyond
Comfey will appear at all three in-person GO Fest events. Normally found in Hawaii, the Posy Picker Pokémon is known for its pleasant aroma and support potential in battle.
Comfey will appear in the wild at in-person GO Fest events and throughout the host cities, including Chicago during both park sessions and eligible citywide gameplay.
City Explorer Pass (Chicago)
The City Explorer Pass is a city-only gameplay experience that grants access to GO Fest citywide gameplay without a ticketed park session. It includes everything a Citywide Gameplay add-on provides, but you don’t need to have an event ticket that includes a park session.
City Explorer Passes for Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago are available for the following days:
- June 4, 2026
- June 5, 2026
- June 6, 2026
- June 7, 2026
The Grant Park park experience is not included with a City Explorer Pass.
Spawns 
Event-themed Pokémon will appear throughout Grant Park during your park session and across Chicago during your ticketed citywide gameplay hours (including Citywide Gameplay add-ons and City Explorer tickets).
A map of the venue, including zone and habitat locations, will be available closer to the event.
Grant Park encounters
Encounter Pokémon across Grant Park associated with Spark of Team Instinct or Team GO Rocket Leader Sierra. All forms of Unown will be available.
Bulbasaur
Alolan Raichu
Electabuzz
Jolteon
Dratini
Unown
Houndour
Lileep
Combee
Mudbray
Comfey
Dhelmise
Varoom
Some Trainers might even encounter the following!
Galarian Corsola
Outside of Grant Park, Trainers playing throughout Chicago during their ticketed event hours can encounter the same featured event Pokémon from the park during citywide gameplay.
Raids 
The following Pokémon will appear in raids across Chicago during event days.
Three-Star Raids
Paldean Tauros (Blaze)
Five-Star Raids
Zapdos
Mewtwo
Raikou
Primal Raids
Primal Kyogre
Primal Groudon
Five-Star Shadow Raids
- Zapdos
- Raikou
Kyogre
Groudon
Trainers without an active Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago ticket or Citywide Gameplay add-on can participate in these raids, but Raid Bosses they catch won’t have a Location Background or Special Background, and they won’t encounter Shiny Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros.
Tip: Take advantage of the event’s increased number of daily Raid Passes, and consider the Raid Lover add-on to boost your total further on eligible days.
Research 
Special Research: Zeraora
Ticket-holding Trainers in Chicago will receive Special Research that investigates the recent discovery of a new Pokémon species, Zeraora. This story unfolds during your park session in Grant Park and leads to a Zeraora encounter the first time you complete a GO Fest 2026 Special Research line.
If you attend multiple in-person GO Fest locations, any additional GO Fest 2026 Special Research lines that would lead to Zeraora will instead reward Zeraora Candy.
Timed Research and Trainer Challenges
During both park and citywide gameplay, Trainers will receive Timed Research focused on:
- Four skill-based Zones within Grant Park during the park session.
- Four City Districts across Chicago during citywide gameplay, contributing to your Pokémon GO Expert medal.
Timed Research and Trainer Challenges will be available through the end of the event period, giving you time to complete them even after your park session concludes.
Hourly event-themed Field Research will also be available at PokéStops across Chicago during ticketed event hours.
Shiny 
Shiny Wash Rotom debut
For the first time in Pokémon GO, Shiny Wash Rotom will be available during the in-person Pokémon GO Fest 2026 events.
Wash Rotom
Shiny Paldean Tauros (Blaze Breed)
Ticket holders may encounter Shiny Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros at this event—the Fighting/Fire form with a red-tinted coat.
Paldean Tauros (Blaze)
Sales 
Official Pokémon GO Fest 2026 Collection
Preorder your GO Fest merchandise! A wider selection than ever before of apparel and accessories will be available at Pokémon GO Fest 2026 in-person events. All items are available via preorder only and must be picked up at Grant Park during your ticketed event day.
Purchased your ticket already and forgot to add merchandise? You can return to the ticketing site and purchase additional add-ons while supplies last.
Quantities are limited, and preorders will only be available while supplies last. No returns, exchanges, or cancellations will be allowed.
