Pokémon GO is giving Melbourne some love this July with a Pokémon GO Fest 2026 event taking place at Queensbridge Square, Southbank, on Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July.

The Melbourne event is taking place on one of the biggest weekends on the Pokémon GO calendar. There will be photo ops, free Pikachu visors and, of course, a lot of people to trade, raid and play together with.

Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global is, of course, a worldwide event that can be played anywhere, and for the first time ever will be free for all Pokémon GO players. This year will see the debut of Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y in Pokémon GO, available through Super Mega Raid Battles. You’ll need a lot of people to take down these two. There’s also Special Research that will let players encounter Zeraora, who will also be appearing in the game for the first time.

Pokémon will rotate throughout the day, with each hour highlighting a different element, making it a good chance to try and earn those Platinum Medals. Also available across the weekend are:

• Increased chances of encountering Shiny Pokémon;
• Special Research and Timed Research;
• Up to nine free Raid Passes per day;
• Bonus trading features and expanded Gift limits;
• Encounter Pikachu with Team Instinct, Mystic and Valor hats.

The Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global Melbourne event will run each day from 9am-6pm AEST, while the global in-game event will run from 10am-7pm AEST.