Pokémon GO Fest is always a whirlwind, and Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global—running July 11 and 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time—is no exception. Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y will make their global Pokémon GO debut in Super Mega Raid Battles, and Zeraora will also appear globally for the first time as part of a Special Research story! As always, we’re here to remind you that GO Fest is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s a lot to do and 18 hours to do it, so be sure to stay hydrated, take breaks to rest and eat, and, as always, wear sunscreen. Fortunately, there are also some steps you can take to prepare before the event kicks off to help make the most of it. After you’ve stocked up on sunscreen, snacks, and water, here’s what you need to know to prepare for Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global.
Friend Up
Everything is more fun with friends, and they can help you get the most out of the event. Many of the raids taking place during Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global will require lots of strong Trainers working together. A squad of strong Trainers will help ensure you’re ready to take on any raid anytime. Additionally, Party Play will be active for nine hours during the event, so having three friends ready before the event begins will ensure a seamless Party Play experience. You will also be able to make up to six Special Trades per day, so having your Pokémon tagged and your friends ready to trade will make for one less thing to think about during the event.
Storage, Storage, Storage
Unless you accidentally fall asleep and nap through all 18 hours of the event, odds are you’re going to catch a lot of Pokémon. Legendary Pokémon, Shiny Pokémon, and possibly even a few Pokémon you don’t currently have in your Pokédex. Taking the time to transfer Pokémon to the professor before the event begins will allow you to focus on catching Pokémon during the event. You can also obtain more space by purchasing more Pokémon storage in the shop. The current Pokémon limit in Pokémon GO is 11,650, and you can exchange 200 PokéCoins to get space for 50 more Pokémon.
Just as Pokémon storage might prove challenging during Pokémon GO Fest, running out of Item Bag storage might slow you down as well. There are plenty of items that will help you on your journey, but you need space to store them. The current Pokémon GO item cap is 11,750, and you can exchange 200 PokéCoins to get 50 additional Item Bag spots in the shop. Alternately, you can do a massive seasonal cleanout of items that you don’t currently need before GO Fest kicks off.
Stock Up on Supplies
We’ve already established that you’re going to catch loads of Pokémon, which means you’ll need plenty of Poké Balls.
Incense will attract Tropius, Bouffalant, and all forms of Unown, making it a useful item to have running during the event.
Berries are helpful when catching Pokémon, and they may be especially useful after raids if you want to increase the amount of Candy you receive for catching a Legendary Pokémon.
GO Fest is a great time to rack up XP and Stardust, and Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces can help increase how much XP and Stardust you earn during the event.
Research Prep
There are some things you can do to set yourself up for success to prepare for the Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global Timed Research and Special Research.
Tag your Pokémon. Frequent research tasks include evolving Pokémon and powering up Pokémon, so take the time to choose which Pokémon you would like to power up or evolve if research calls for this.
Pack your Poffins. Earning hearts with your Buddy Pokémon is another popular research task, and a Poffin will help you breeze through this challenge.
Make sure you have some Gifts to send Friends. Sending Gifts is another common research task in Pokémon GO, so spin some PokéStops before the event begins to ensure you have Gifts to send your friends.
Raid-Ready
There’s plenty going on during Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global, but the incredible breadth of Pokémon appearing in raids is sure to be a highlight. Taking the time to identify which Pokémon you’d like to focus on battling in raids before the event begins will save you some mental energy. From there, choosing a team of Pokémon as counters and powering up these Pokémon up before the raid is another way to set yourself up for success.
Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y are making their global Pokémon GO debut and will likely be at the top of many Trainers’ lists during this event. Super Mega Raids are super mega challenging and require a lot of Trainers joining forces to successfully complete. Every Trainer participating in a Super Mega Raid should include a powerful Mega-Evolved Pokémon in their lineup, although this Pokémon should not be first in line.
Mega Mewtwo X is a Psychic- and Fighting-type Pokémon and therefore is vulnerable to Flying-, Ghost-, and Fairy-type attacks. Strong counters include Mega Gardevoir/Gardevoir/Shadow Gardevoir, Enamorus, Shadow Granbull, Mega Rayquaza/Rayquaza, Shadow Moltres/Moltres, Dawn Wings Necrozma, Mega Gengar/Gengar, and Mega Banette/Banette.
Mega Mewtwo Y is a Psychic type and is vulnerable to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks. Solid counters include Dawn Wings Necrozma, Mega Gengar/Gengar, Mega Banette/Banette, Mega Heracross/Heracross, Shadow Vikavolt/Vikavolt, Mega Pinsir/Pinsir, Mega Tyranitar/Tyranitar/Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Hydreigon/Hydreigon, and Shadow Darkrai/Darkrai.
Other Pokémon appearing in raids include the following.
Saturday
Super Mega Raids
Mega Mewtwo X
Mega Raids
Mega Pidgeot
Mega Alakazam
Mega Gengar
Mega Aerodactyl
Mega Ampharos
Mega Blaziken
Mega Swampert
Mega Salamence
Mega Abomasnow
Five-Star Raids
Articuno
Zapdos
Moltres
Raikou
Entei
Suicune
Lugia
Ho-Oh
Kyogre
Groudon
Rayquaza
Uxie (region-specific)
Mesprit (region-specific)
Azelf (region-specific)
Dialga
Palkia
Giratina (Altered Forme)
Giratina (Origin Forme)
Reshiram
Zekrom
Kyurem
Xerneas
Yveltal
Solgaleo
Lunala
Sunday
Super Mega Raids
Mega Mewtwo Y
Mega Raids
Mega Beedrill
Mega Pinsir
Mega Tyranitar
Mega Sceptile
Mega Gardevoir
Mega Metagross
Mega Garchomp
Mega Lucario
Mega Audino
Five-Star Raids
Enamorus (Incarnate Forme)
Enamorus (Therian Forme)
Deoxys (Normal Forme)
Deoxys (Attack Forme)
Deoxys (Defense Forme)
Deoxys (Speed Forme)
Dialga (Origin Forme)
Palkia (Origin Forme)
Tornadus (Incarnate Forme)
Tornadus (Therian Forme)
Thundurus (Incarnate Forme)
Thundurus (Therian Forme)
Landorus (Incarnate Forme)
Landorus (Therian Forme)
Genesect (Shock Drive)
Genesect (Burn Drive)
Genesect (Chill Drive)
Genesect (Douse Drive)
Tapu Koko
Tapu Lele
Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini
Kartana
Guzzlord
Necrozma
Stakataka
Blacephalon
Zacian (Hero of Many Battles)
Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles)
Regieleki
Regidrago
Catching Pokémon in the Wild
Different types of Pokémon will appear in the wild during designated hours throughout the event. Mark your calendar based on which type(s) of Pokémon you’re focused on catching!
Saturday
Stormfire Peaks: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Fire, Electric, Ice
Astral Tides: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Water, Psychic, Ghost
Dragonflight Summit: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Flying, Rock, Dragon
Sunday
Earthforged Domain: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Normal, Ground, Steel
Verdant Anomaly: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Grass, Poison, Bug
Twilight Battlefield: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Fighting, Dark, Fairy
Happy Pokémon GO Fest, Trainers!
Source: Pokemon.com
