By: AC Recio
Pokémon Go is holding its fifth annual Pokémon Go Fest this July 17th and 18th. But just what is in store for festival participants? Read on to find out!
The annual Pokémon Go Fest was first held as a live event in the US from 2017 to 2018, and in 2019 it was held in three different cities around the world namely Chicago in the US, Dortmund in Germany, and Yokohama in Japan.
The festival went fully online for the first time last year in the midst of the pandemic as public gatherings were restricted, but this turned out to be the catalyst for Pokémon Go Fest to go global, allowing people all over the world to join from anywhere in the world.
This year, the Pokémon Go Fest remains an online event where anyone anywhere can join – with the special twist that it will also be a music festival! You read that right. The event will have participants act as show directors to help Professor Willow and team leaders put on a concert by creating a musical band with Pokémon members!
Participants will have the option to choose Pikachu Rock Star or Pikachu Pop Star at the beginning of the event, which will influence the music they will hear throughout the two-day festival. Longtime Pokémon game developer and music producer Junichi Masuda created new songs for the event including “a rock-and-rolling track for Pikachu Rock Star fans, a high-energy electro-pop song for Pikachu Pop Star stans, and more,” according to a blog post from the Pokémon Go Live website.
Participants can also complete their Pokémon band line-up with other Pokémon that are dressed in special themed costumes. Completing their task as show directors earns participants special rewards including an encounter with a Mythical Pokémon, a shirt avatar item, and an exclusive avatar pose!
The first day of the event is focused on catching Pokémon and features Hourly Habitats – themes that change every hour throughout the event, with each Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild when it’s time for their “habitat” hour. These Pokémon include but are not limited to Scyther, Aipom and Froakie for the Jungle habitat, Skarmory, Shieldon and Hippopotas for the Desert Mountain habitat, Dratini, Swablu and Alomomola for the Ocean habitat, and Roggenrola, Galarian Stunfisk and Deino for the Cave habitat.
The second day of the event is focused on Raid Battles, with special raid rewards and passes for ticket holders. All Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild during the first day will also appear on Sunday, with some fan-favorites making special appearances so stay tuned for more information!
Tickets are available for purchase on the Pokémon Go app so download it now from the App Store or Google Play! Stay tuned to SEA Wave for more updates or visit the Pokémon Go Live website.
Featured image from Niantic