Pokemon GO Fest 2021 is almost here and players are running out of time to purchase tickets for the annual event. Just last year, the event will feature a long list of bonuses available to all players throughout the world and then some additional special features and bonuses for fans who are willing to cough up $5 USD for entry to the event. The tickets aren't necessary to have fun during the 48 hour celebration, but some players may find the benefits well worth the price of admission.
The first day of Pokemon GO Fest 2021 is "Catch!" themed and the second day is "Raid!" themed. All players will have a chance to participate in the habitat bonus spawns on Saturday and the special Raids happening on Sunday, but ticket holders are going to have a Special Research chain to work through as well to make the event even more exciting (and to gain some extra encounter rewards along the way).
To understand whether the ticket is worth the $5 for any given player, it's helpful to take a side-by-side look at the bonuses for each day (and the whole weekend) for the two different experiences. The two different tracks are outlined below...
How Much Does The Ticket Cost?
GO Fest 2021 Tickets are reduced this year to celebrate 5 years of Pokémon GO, and will cost $5 USD (or your countries equivalent).
Ticket Holder Exclusive Bonuses and Features
Day 1 - On Saturday, July 17, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, Pokémon GO Fest 2021 ticket holders will be able to enjoy the following features:
Pokémon GO Fest 2021 is a music festival, and you’re the show director! Help Professor Willow and the team leaders put on an incredible concert celebration by choosing between certain Pokémon to join the festivities.
Complete this Special Research for special rewards, including an encounter with the Mythical Pokémon Meloetta, a shirt avatar item, and an exclusive avatar pose!
After you complete the Special Research, take a snapshot for a surprise!
Day 2 - On Sunday, July 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, ticket holders will be able to enjoy the following
Earn an extra 10,000 XP in raid rewards when you complete a Raid Battle!
Spin Gym Photo Discs to earn up to 10 Raid Passes. These can be used for in-person raids.
Complete Timed Research to earn up to eight Remote Raid Passes. These can be used to join a raid from anywhere.
Pick up a free event bundle containing three Remote Raid Passes! This will be available in the shop on Sunday, July 18, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.
All Pokémon attracted to Incense from Saturday will be attracted to Incense during event hours on Sunday.
Both Days - Open Gifts or spin PokéStops to get special event stickers.
Take snapshots on both event days for a surprise!
Unown F and Unown G will be attracted to Incense throughout the event. If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
Bonuses for All Players (Including Non-Ticketholders)
Day 1 - Hourly Habitats
Day 2 - Sunday’s gameplay will be focused on raids, and some of your favorites will be returning for this epic celebration! Stay tuned for more info. Miss any Pokémon on the first day of the event? Don’t worry! All Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild on Saturday will be appearing again on Sunday during event hours.
Both Days - All Lure Modules activated during event hours will last for three hours
Special music created by Pokémon music producer Junichi Masuda will be playing in the app throughout the event.
1/2 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during event hours.
Pokémon hatching from 7 km eggs include Igglybuff, Chingling, Audino, and more.
Event-exclusive Field Research tasks, special on-map visual effects, and more!
So, Is It Worth It?
In terms of evaluating the value, there are some pretty easy factors to consider... One of the most obvious ones is going to be the free event bundle containing three Remote Raid Passes that is available to ticketholders on Sunday. That basically equals $3 and players who want to take full advantage of the special raids happening during day two will likely need at least three Raid Passes anyway. Obviously some players may have Raid Passes saved up from past events or may have enough Pokecoins to buy some Raid Passes with the in-game currency, but most players will likely get the majority of their value out of that bonuses along. Beyond that, the rest of the perks and bonuses need to be evaluated on a player by player basis that takes into account that trainers Pokedex goals, PvP collection goals, or metagame goals.
Overall, the ticket seems like it has a pretty high value proposition for players who plan to participate in the event on both Saturday and Sunday anyway and have $5 to spare. The Raid Passes alone are a great selling point and all of the additional bonuses and features help push the value over the top.
In the coming weeks, we should learn more about what other events will be arriving during the rest of the Season of Discovery. Be sure to check back in the near future for more Pokemon GO strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GO is available on Android and iOS.