Pokémon Go Fest 2026 Will Be Free for Everyone for the First Time

Pokémon Go players who can’t make it to the in-person Pokémon Go Fest events in Chicago, Copenhagen, or Tokyo this year have some exciting news: Pokémon Go Fest: Global will be free for everyone during the weekend of July 11-12, as announced by Niantic.

This free event will include access to Special Research, increased Shiny Pokémon encounter rates, and unique event bonuses—no ticket purchase required. It’s all part of the celebrations for Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary.

Players attending the in-person Go Fest events will get early access to either Mewtwo with Level 1 unlocked for Mega Mewtwo X or Mega Mewtwo Y through branching Timed Research. Mewtwo caught at these events will come equipped with the Fast Attack Counter and the Charged Attack Psystrike. Additionally, attendees will participate in a massive 1,000-player Raid Battle towards the end of the event.

During Pokémon Go Fest 2026: Global, players can earn Mega Energy X or Y by defeating Mega Mewtwo X or Y in Super Mega Raid Battles or by completing timed research. All Mewtwo caught from these raids will have at least one Mega Level unlocked and can Mega Evolve without using energy. Some fortunate players might even catch Mewtwo at Mega Level 2 or 3.

As part of the global event, Mewtwo caught from Mega Mewtwo X raids will know the Fast Attack Counter, while those from Mega Mewtwo Y raids will have the Charged Attack Psystrike.

Niantic also shared details about upcoming updates to the Mega system, which will include:

Faster Mega Level Progression

In a future update, Trainers will be able to use extra Mega Energy to quickly level up their Pokémon’s Mega Levels without waiting for the daily cooldown.

Split Mega Level Progression

For Pokémon with multiple Mega Evolutions, like Mewtwo, progression will now be tracked separately for each Mega Evolution. For instance, the Mega Level for Mega Mewtwo X will increase independently from that of Mega Mewtwo Y.

For Mega Charizard X and Y, any Charizard that has been Mega Evolved will retain its Mega Level for both forms after this split. Going forward, each Mega Evolution will require its own Mega Energy, obtainable by battling either Mega Charizard X or Y in Mega Raids. If you already possess Charizard Mega Energy, you will receive an equivalent amount of both Mega Charizard X and Y Energy after the split.

Mark your calendars for this year’s Pokémon Go Fest events:

Tickets for the in-person events in Chicago and Copenhagen are still available.