Remember that long ago day when we all shared a collective obsession in the form of Pokémon Go?
It feels like several decades ago, long before our current global obsession — the pandemic — robbed us of the ability to gather in shared spaces. All the way back in 2016, before Trump, before Hilary, long before Biden and seemingly a decade before COVID-19, half the planet joined together in glorious union to enjoy a silly phone game about catching Pokémon.
The game never entirely faded from popularity, but it ceased its traffic-stopping irresistibility some time in late 2016, as the summer months faded into fall and winter. By the time the election had passed, only scattered groups continued to enjoy the game, as the rest of the population deleted Niantic’s charming augmented-reality game in favor of doom scrolling through news apps.
In hopes of bringing some of the 2016 fervor back to the game, Nintendo and Niantic are planning a series of festivals across the globe. A digital event is set to take place for Pokémon Go gamers who are unable to travel, alongside three separate events at physical locations.
Where and when to attend Pokémon Go Fest 2022
The last Pokémon Go Fest took place before the pandemic, in 2019. As the impacts of the pandemic gradually fade, the Pokémon Go team is delighted to return to in-person events at several locations around the world. A series of three in-person events are set to take place throughout July and early August, with the first in Berlin, Germany, from Friday, July 1 to Sunday, July 3.
The second event is set to start a few weeks later, in Seattle, Washington. This Pokémon Go event will run from Friday, July 22 through Sunday, July 24. The final event is set to take place in Sapporo, Japan, between Friday, Aug. 5 and Sunday, Aug. 7.
Users who can’t make it to the scattered in-person events will also have the chance to tune into a massive global event, which is taking place digitally. The global event is set to run from Saturday, June 4 through Sunday, June 5 — a full month before the first in-person event — according to a statement from the team behind the popular AR game.
A bonus event is also set to wrap up the entire season of Pokémon Go on Saturday, Aug. 27.