Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale runs Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time each day. It’s free and unticketed — every trainer worldwide can take part with no travel and no purchase required. Niantic has now confirmed the full details: eight rotating type-themed habitats, the return of Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y, and the Pokémon GO debut of three Kalos starter Mega Evolutions. Here’s everything confirmed, updated from our original preview now that the event page is live.
Event Dates and Times
| Phase | Dates | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Ascension (lead-up) | Monday, August 31 – Friday, September 4, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. next day (rolling), Sept 4 ends 11:59 p.m. |
| GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale | Saturday, September 5 & Sunday, September 6, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. local time, both days |
Both event days use the same 10 a.m.–6 p.m. window in whatever your local time zone is — there’s no need to convert to a fixed UTC time.
Featured Pokémon and Raids
The headline raids are Super Mega battles, split by day:
- Saturday, September 5: Mega Mewtwo X takes over Super Mega Raids at select Gyms.
- Sunday, September 6: Mega Mewtwo Y takes its place. Both forms are Shiny-eligible.
Alongside the Super Mega Raids, Armored Mewtwo (Psychic-type) is the standard 5-star raid boss both days — Shiny Armored Mewtwo is confirmed not available. A bonus for both days: no limit on Remote Raid Passes, and all Mega-Evolved Pokémon get an extra CP boost while Mega Evolved during the event.
Rotating Habitats
Like GO Fest: Global in July, the weekend is split into eight type-themed habitats, each running twice per day in one-hour blocks (local time), each with its own Mega Raid lineup and wild spawns.
| Day | Time | Habitat | Types | Mega Raid Bosses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept 5 | 10–11 a.m. & 2–3 p.m. | Verdant Overgrowth | Grass/Bug | Mega Beedrill, Mega Victreebel, Mega Pinsir, Mega Abomasnow |
| 11 a.m.–12 p.m. & 3–4 p.m. | Mindworks Canal | Psychic/Water | Mega Alakazam, Mega Slowbro, Mega Starmie, Mega Medicham | |
| 12–1 p.m. & 4–5 p.m. | Eerie Alley | Ghost/Dark | Mega Gengar, Mega Houndoom, Mega Banette, Mega Malamar | |
| 1–2 p.m. & 5–6 p.m. | Circuit Plaza | Electric | Mega Raichu X, Mega Ampharos, Mega Manectric | |
| Sunday, Sept 6 | 10–11 a.m. & 2–3 p.m. | Iron Frostworks | Steel/Ice | Mega Steelix, Mega Skarmory, Mega Aggron, Mega Glalie |
| 11 a.m.–12 p.m. & 3–4 p.m. | Battle District | Fighting/Ground/Dark | Mega Sharpedo, Mega Camerupt, Mega Lopunny, Mega Falinks | |
| 12–1 p.m. & 4–5 p.m. | Skyline Roosts | Flying/Dragon | Mega Gyarados, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Dragonite, Mega Altaria | |
| 1–2 p.m. & 5–6 p.m. | Prism Promenade | Fairy/Dark | Mega Raichu Y, Mega Sableye, Mega Mawile, Mega Audino |
All habitat Mega Raid bosses are confirmed Shiny-eligible. Check our Mega Evolution guide for how Mega Energy and Mega Levels work if you’re new to raiding these.
Pokémon Debuts
The three Kalos starter Mega Evolutions make their Pokémon GO debut through GO Pass Timed Research, via a branching choice:
- Choose Chespin → evolves to Mega Chesnaught (Grass/Fighting) → exclusive Charged Attack Frenzy Plant
- Choose Fennekin → evolves to Mega Delphox (Fire/Psychic) → exclusive Charged Attack Blast Burn
- Choose Froakie → evolves to Mega Greninja (Water/Dark) → exclusive Charged Attack Hydro Cannon
All three starter encounters are Shiny-eligible. You only get to pick one branch, so decide based on which Mega and exclusive move you actually want on your team, not just which starter looks best — see our Best Attackers by Type guide for where each of these ranks.
Bonuses
- No Remote Raid Pass limit, both days
- Extra CP boost for all Mega-Evolved Pokémon during the event
- Mega Ascension lead-up (Aug 31–Sept 4): Remote Raid Pass limit increased to 30, with a different daily rotating Mega Raid boss each day (see our Mega Ascension guide for the full day-by-day schedule)
GO Pass: Mega Finale
A free GO Pass track runs the full week, Monday, August 31 through Sunday, September 6, 2026. The paid upgrade, GO Pass Deluxe: Mega Finale, costs $14.99 on the official Pokémon GO Web Store, with higher-tier bundles also available for players who want extra Ranks or an Ultra Box on top (check the in-game shop for current pricing on those bundles, as Niantic adjusts upsell tiers by region).
| Track | What you get |
|---|---|
| Free | Kalos partner encounter with Special Background, Candy, enough Mega Energy to Mega Evolve your chosen partner once, Link Charge cap increased to 2,000 |
| Deluxe ($14.99) | Everything in Free, plus Candy XL, more Mega Energy, increased Shiny chance for your chosen partner and for 4-star Mega Raid bosses, 3 extra Candy + 1 extra Candy XL + 5,000 extra XP per Mega Raid, increased wild Shiny chance during event hours, and a partner-themed avatar T-shirt |
Shiny Availability
Confirmed Shiny-eligible: Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Mewtwo Y, every habitat Mega Raid boss listed above, and all three Kalos starter GO Pass encounters (Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie lines). Not Shiny-eligible: Armored Mewtwo.
Best Pokémon to Prioritize
With this many raid bosses running at once, focus your Remote Raid Passes on whichever of the following you’re missing or want a better IV roll on, roughly in this order: Mega Mewtwo X/Y on your featured day (since it only runs once), any habitat Mega boss you don’t already have Shiny (since none of them return with certainty next time), and your chosen Kalos starter’s evolution line for the exclusive move. Armored Mewtwo is worth one clear catch for the Pokédex entry, but since it can’t be Shiny, it shouldn’t compete with your Remote Pass budget against the Shiny-eligible bosses.
Event Tips
- Bank Poké Balls, Berries, and Potions/Revives beforehand — with eight habitats rotating hourly, you’ll be raiding and catching constantly.
- Decide your Kalos starter branch before the event starts, since it locks in your Mega/exclusive-move combination for the whole weekend.
- Since there’s no Remote Raid Pass limit, coordinate with a raid group in advance if you’re chasing Shiny habitat bosses — more attempts means better odds.
- Clear out Pokémon storage ahead of time so a busy catching weekend doesn’t leave you stuck at your box limit.
Final Verdict
Mega Finale is the biggest scheduled Mega Evolution event of the year outside of GO Fest: Global itself — eight full habitat rotations, the return of both Mega Mewtwo forms, and three brand-new Mega debuts through GO Pass make this worth clearing your weekend for, especially if you’re missing any of the habitat Mega bosses in Shiny. The free GO Pass track alone covers the core rewards; Deluxe is worth it mainly if you want the higher Shiny rates and the cosmetic T-shirt.
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