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Image: Niantic/The Pokémon Company
This year’s Pokémon Go Fest will be virtual, but developer Niantic and The Pokémon Company are also hosting a series of real-world, in-person celebrations on July 17 — the first day of Go Fest — in more than 20 cities around the globe. Players in the United States, parts of Europe, and New Zealand will be able to take part.
In an announcement posted Thursday, Niantic assured players that the Pokémon Go Fest in-game experience will be the same for everyone around the world, regardless of whether they attend a city-based event or not. Players who do attend an outdoor, socially distanced Go Fest event can look forward to photo ops and a chance to mingle with other players. An in-person gathering has the obvious benefit of being able to trade Pokémon with others nearby, but don’t expect a major event on par with previous Pokémon Go Fest or Safari Zone celebrations.
Pokémon Go Fest’s real-world celebrations are scheduled for Saturday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Events are not scheduled for Sunday, July 18, the second day of Go Fest, which is themed around Legendary raids. Here’s the list of participating cities:
Europe
- Linz, Austria
- Dresden, Germany
- Essen, Germany
- Hamburg, Germany
- Sevilla, Spain
- Paris, France
- Warsaw, Poland
- Bristol, U.K.
- Edinburgh, U.K.
- Liverpool, U.K.
- London, U.K.
United States
- San Francisco, California
- Denver, Colorado
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Chicago, Illinois
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- New York City, New York
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Austin, Texas
- Seattle, Washington
- Washington, D.C.
Asia-Pacific
- Auckland, New Zealand
To take part in the events, Pokémon Go players will need to register ahead of time, either on the web or in-game through the Events menu. Registration is free, but limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. A Pokémon Go Fest 2021 ticket does not guarantee entry.
