Here’s what you need to know to enjoy Pokémon Go Fest 2023 Global starting tomorrow

A few years back, the world went absolutely mad for Pokémon Go. You’d walk outside and see loads of people with their face in their phones, but their legs were moving. Like many, I was caught in the whirlwind, but life got in the way and my interest faded. Well, truth be told, I became a dad, and I literally had no time to care about the game anymore. That was, until my son grew up. He’s now 7 years old and addicted to the franchise. He reintroduced me to the magic the game gave me when he was too young to even use a smartphone.

After a Pokéstop was added near our home, I was surprised to find myself enjoying it again each day a little here and there. Tomorrow, we have plans to head to our local park to enjoy the Pokémon Go Fest 2023 Global. For those of you as excited as I am (or just curious), here’s what you need to know to check it out for yourself!

When is it and how much does it cost?

The event is set for Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day, based on your local time. So, it literally starts tomorrow! While it’s absolutely FREE to play the rotating habitats each hour, especially if you’re not really into the game enough to Shellos out $14.99 for a paid ticket, said tickets are available for Special Research tasks and the chance to encounter Diancie, a Mythical Pokémon.

Here’s what’s going on during the event

If you do end up buying into the event (my son has literally drained my pockets this past week on legendary raids, so we’ve put a budget in place for good behavior), there are over 70 Pokémon appearing that may not normally be near your home. If you can work with others to complete 20 challenges before the day ends tomorrow, you’ll unlock a unique adventure, special raids, first-time shiny Pokémon appearances, and exclusive research.

You’ll also get a 4x bonus of catch XP and stardust. However, let’s say you’re just looking to take part in the rotating habitats I mentioned – I have them listed below. You can also check out the full event, all of the bonuses and features, and which Pokémon will appear during each of the following hours on the official Go Fest website. If you like Shellos and my obviously terrible pun from earlier, you can catch it during Aquamarine Shores.

Habitat Hours

• Quartz Terrarium: 10:00 am – 11:00 am and 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Pyrite Sands: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Malachite Wilderness: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Aquamarine Shores: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

More surprises, go have some fun!

In the event that the Ultra Unlock challenges are not fully met, a special adventure will unfold from Tuesday, September 5, 10:00 am, to Sunday, September 10, 10:00 am. Speculation hints at Pokémon from the latest region, Paldea region making an appearance. Beyond that, new Field Research tasks will be available every hour from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on August 26, so you and your kiddos should be on the lookout for more shiny Pokémon throughout the day.

Anyway, here’s to hoping that Pokémon Go Fest 2023 Global will be better than last year. There were a lot of people upset that they paid the $15 and then didn’t get a great turn out on their investment. I’m willing to bet that Niantic and the Pokémon Company are working to combat that this year.

Pokémon Go is a great way to get up and move post pandemic

My son and I have several phones charged up and ready to go, and will likely be out sweating for several hours while he hunts for shinies and legendaries. Hey, you’re never too old to be a kid, alright? Let me know in the comments if you’re going to re-install the game and try it out. I’ve found it’s given me more encouragement to get out and walk post-pandemic when my lifestyle became very shut-in, so I’m likely going to continue playing after this week!

If you want to try it out, just open the game, tap on Pokéball at the bottom center of your screen, tap ‘Shop’, and then the Go Fest ticket will be right in front of your face for purchase. Once you snag one, it will be in your item bag. Happy gaming!