Pokemon GO Fest 2021 complete event schedule

Pokemon GO's annual celebration Pokemon GO Fest is fast approaching, and there is tons of fun to be had for both veterans and newcomers alike.

Beginning July 17, 2021 and concluding on July 18, 2021, Pokemon GO Fest 2021 will have both live events in select areas as well as a game-wide virtual celebration of the release and the Pokemon franchise as a whole.

The event will proceed between 10am and 6pm local time on both days, with plenty of time for Pokemon GO trainers to enjoy the festivities.

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Pokemon GO: Breaking down GO Fest's individual events

Image via Niantic

Even though Pokemon GO Fest 2021 is only there over the course of two days, some players may be confused as to what all is happening, as there is plenty of content to take part in.

With so many activities and bonuses active at the same time compared to a standard Pokemon GO event, a breakdown is warranted:

Day One: Saturday, July 17

• Habitation Hours: Kicking off the first day of GO Fest will be a separation of four different Habitation Hours that rotate the wild Pokemon encountered. These habitations are Jungle, Desert, Mountain, Ocean Beach and Cave. Players who purchase a Pokemon GO Fest pass will also be able to catch region-restricted Pokemon such as Chatot, Sawk, and Throh.
• Musical Pokemon uptick: Since this year's GO Fest is centered around a musical theme, expect to see Pokemon such as Cricketot, Chimecho, and Audino more often in the wild as well due to their propensity to make music.
• Mystery costume Pikachu: In addition to the previously mentioned wild Pokemon, a special Pikachu will also be spawning in an as of yet undisclosed costume.
• More costumed Pokemon: Available in raids, the Galarian forms of Ponyta and Zigzagoon will also be decked out in their own special costumes.
• More shinies!: 11 more shiny Pokemon will be introduced to Pokemon GO during GO Fest. These Pokemon include Whismur, Chimecho, Audino, Tympole, Unown F, Sawk and Throh.
• Special Research Story: A new Special Research Story will be available to players who purchased the GO Fest 2021 pass for US $4.99, involving Professor Willow attempting to set up a music festival. Players who complete this story have a chance to catch Pop Star and Rock Star Pikachu. Not only this, but players who complete the research will encounter Meloetta, the newest Mythic Pokemon introduced to Pokemon GO.
• Global Challenge Arena returns: Players can once again work together globally to complete challenges in the Global Challenge Arena in order to obtain great rewards.

Day Two: Sunday, July 18

• Raid Day: Pokemon GO trainers that love raiding have a great opportunity on the second day of GO Fest. Every single Legendary Pokemon currently in the game will be appearing as a Tier 5 Raid Boss, giving players the opportunity to catch any they may have missed out on or those they wish to snag some extra candy for. On top of it all, players will be rewarded an extra 10,000 XP after each successful raid. Much like the Habitation Hours, the Legendary Pokemon will rotate out based on their locales. These hours will be separated into the categories Wind, Lava, Frost, and Thunder. Don't sweat running out of raid passes either, as players will be able to obtain 10 more than usual by spinning Pokestops. More Remote Raid Passes are also made available by completing Timed Research Tasks!

For players enjoying both days of GO Fest celebrations, they'll also enjoy some added benefits throughout the whole event:

• Lure Modules used on Pokestops will last three hours as opposed to 30 minutes.
• Any egg placed in an incubator during the event will require half the walking distance to hatch.
• New exclusive field research tasks will become available.
• 7km eggs will add Pokemon like Igglybuff, Chingling, and Audino to their egg pools.

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