Pokémon Go Fest 2024 dates, locations detailed

Pokémon Go Fest will head to the Spanish capital of Madrid for this year's big European event, developer Niantic has announced.

The smartphone game phenomenon's biggest annual gathering will once again comprise three big in-person meetups, before a worldwide finale that can be played anywhere.

Go Fest 2024 will kick off in Sendai, Japan on 30th May to 2nd June, before its European leg in Madrid on 14th to 16th June. This year's US dates will see Go Fest return to New York between July 5th and 7th, meanwhile.

After that, Pokémon Go Fest will hold a global event on 13th and 14th July, that all Trainers can play regardless of their location.

Here in Europe, Madrid is picking up the Go Fest baton from London last year, and Berlin in 2022. June's in-person festivities will be based around the city's Parque Juan Carlos I.

“Madrid is a city known for its history, culture and vitality, but is also a city that looks to the future, embracing innovation and new technologies,” Madrid councilor delegate Marta Rivera De la Cruz said. “That is why we are especially excited to host such an emblematic and modern event as Pokémon Go Fest, which brings together people of all ages and from all corners of the world through the magic of technology and gaming.”

Tickets to Pokémon Go Fest in Madrid cost £28, with early bird pricing of £24 currently available “while supplies last”.

So, what do we expect will be there? A teaser trailer for the event released yesterday featured the shadow of… Marshadow, a Mythical Pokémon yet to arrive in Pokémon Go. It's a cute ghost creature with wispy smoke horns – a design that fans quickly noticed are replicated in this year's Go Fest logo.

Last year I popped on the train up to London for Pokémon Go Fest 2023, which showcased the best of what the game has to offer – real-life interactions with other players, and a raft of new features introduced last year.