Pokémon GO's August 2026 calendar starts with Gigantamax Rillaboom on August 1 and moves into a packed month of hatching, raids, weekly bonuses, new Pokémon, and Nickit Community Day.
The biggest dates are spread across the month. Arctic Embers begins on August 4, Nickit takes over Community Day on August 16, Water Festival introduces Arrokuda and Cramorant on August 18, and Mega Starmie debuts on August 22.
This page keeps the main events, raid rotations, Spotlight Hours, and deadlines in one place. Most times are local unless a section says otherwise.
Pokemon GO August 2026 events at a glance
- August 1: Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day
- August 4–10: Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers
- August 4–September 8: GO Pass: August
- August 8: Fire and Ice Hatch Day
- August 16: Nickit Community Day
- August 18–24: Ultra Unlock: Water Festival
- August 22: Ultra Unlock: Starmie Super Mega Raid Day
- August 25–30: PokémonXP and World Championships activities
- August 31–September 4: Mega Ascension daily raids and research guide
The Pokémon GO game page connects this calendar to the beginner and raid guides.
Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day — August 1
Gigantamax Rillaboom appears in six-star Max Battles from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Shiny Gigantamax Rillaboom is available for the first time.
During the event, all Power Spots host Gigantamax Battles, Power Spots refresh more often, and the Max Particle collection limit increases to 1,600. Players can make up to three Special Trades during the day.
The Remote Raid limit rises from 10 to 20 between July 31 at 5:00 p.m. and August 1 at 8:00 p.m. PDT. That bonus uses Pacific time, while the Max Battle Day itself uses local time.
This is a group event. Organize a team before the three-hour window and collect the available Max Particles early enough to avoid spending the event searching for resources.
GO Pass: August — August 4 to September 8
GO Pass: August becomes available automatically on August 4 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Players can earn GO Points and claim rewards until September 8 at 10:00 a.m.
The free track includes a Latias encounter, Stardust, XP, and Max Particles. The paid Deluxe track adds a Lucky Trinket and other rewards. The Lucky Trinket turns one eligible friend into a Lucky Friend for the next trade.
Unclaimed pass rewards expire on September 10 at 10:00 a.m. local time. The Lucky Trinket has its own deadline of September 13 at 11:59 p.m., so do not save it indefinitely.
Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers — August 4 to 10
Arctic Embers runs from August 4 at 10:00 a.m. to August 10 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Shiny Snom becomes available for the first time through GO Pass tasks and Eggs.
Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Growlithe, Swinub, and Snorunt appear in the wild throughout the event. Ponyta and Snover have boosted appearances on August 4, 6, 8, and 10, while Slugma and Vanillite take the alternating August 5, 7, 9, and 10 dates.
The event GO Pass unlocks PokéStop XP and hatch-distance bonuses as players reach its milestones. Free Timed Research awards 16,800 XP and an encounter with Pikachu wearing a marathon visor. Complete and claim it before the event ends.
Fire and Ice Hatch Day — August 8
Fire and Ice Hatch Day runs from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time on August 8. Smoochum and Magby hatch more frequently from 2 km Eggs, with increased Shiny chances for both.
The event includes half Egg Hatch Distance, double hatch Candy, and a higher chance of receiving 2 km Eggs from PokéStops. Larvesta may appear in 5 km Eggs.
Free Timed Research awards an Incubator and XP. The research expires at 5:00 p.m. with the event, so claim the rewards before the timer closes.
Nickit Community Day — August 16
Nickit Community Day runs from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time on August 16. Nickit appears more frequently in the wild and can be Shiny or carry a yearly Special Background.
Evolve Nickit during the event or up to four hours afterward to get a Thievul that knows the Charged Attack Icy Wind.
The main bonuses include triple catch Stardust, double catch Candy, a doubled Candy XL chance for players level 31 and above, three-hour Incense, and reduced trade costs. Regular Lure Modules can continue attracting Nickit until 9:00 p.m.
If you only have a short window, prioritize catching during the main three hours and finish evolutions before the four-hour grace period ends.
Ultra Unlock: Water Festival — August 18 to 24
Water Festival begins on August 18 at 10:00 a.m. and ends August 24 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Arrokuda and its evolution Barraskewda make their Pokémon GO debut, while Cramorant arrives through Eggs, the GO Pass, and GO Battle League rewards.
Catch XP and Stardust bonuses grow during the event:
- August 18–20: 2× catch XP and 3× catch Stardust
- August 20–22: 3× catch XP and 4× catch Stardust
- August 22–24: 4× catch XP and 5× catch Stardust
Rainy Lure Modules attract Arrokuda. Psyduck wearing a swim ring appears in one-star raids, and Lapras wearing a scarf, Hisuian Samurott, and Dondozo appear in three-star raids.
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Mega Starmie Raid Day — August 22
Mega Starmie debuts in Super Mega Raids on August 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time.
Players can receive up to six free Raid Passes from Gym Photo Discs. The event adds 5,000 XP to all raids, raises the chance of Rare Candy XL, and gives Super Mega Raid Starmie a higher Shiny chance.
Starmie caught from these raids will already have Mega Level 1 unlocked. The Remote Raid limit increases to 20 from August 21 at 2:00 p.m. through August 22 at 8:00 p.m. PDT.
Our Pokémon GO raids guide explains passes, teams, counters, and remote participation.
PokémonXP and World Championships — August 25 to 30
The month ends with a two-phase celebration. PokémonXP runs from August 25 at 10:00 a.m. to August 28 at 10:00 a.m. local time, followed by the World Championships phase through August 30 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Read the full Pokémon GO Worlds 2026 event guide for the separate spawn pools, raids, every featured move, GO Pass rewards, and livestream drops.
- Main priorities: evolve selected Pokémon for featured attacks, claim the free GO Pass, and complete the official Twitch watch requirements.
- Battle bonus: up to 15 GO Battle League sets per day during the World Championships phase.
- New costumes: Pikachu wearing a Cosmog-themed spacesuit and World Championships 2026 Pikachu, both with possible Shiny encounters.
August five-star raids and Raid Hours
Five-star raid bosses rotate at 10:00 a.m. on the listed dates:
- July 29–August 4: Kyurem
- August 5–11: Uxie in Asia-Pacific, Mesprit in Europe/Middle East/India/Africa, and Azelf in the Americas and Greenland
- August 12–18: Groudon
- August 19–25: Lunala
- August 26–September 8: Regirock, Regice, and Registeel
Raid Hours run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time on Wednesdays. The featured bosses are the Lake Guardians on August 5, Groudon on August 12, Lunala on August 19, and the three original Regis on August 26.
Shadow Altered Forme Giratina appears in weekend Shadow Raids during the August rotation.
August Mega Raids
- July 29–August 4: Mega Aggron
- August 5–11: Mega Blaziken
- August 12–18: Mega Garchomp
- August 19–25: Mega Swampert
- August 26–September 8: Mega Gyarados
Mega Starmie's August 22 debut is a separate Super Mega Raid Day rather than part of the normal weekly Mega rotation.
August Spotlight Hours
Spotlight Hours run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time on Thursdays during the current season:
- August 6 — Delibird: 2× catch Stardust
- August 13 — Wurmple: 2× Evolution XP
- August 20 — Magikarp: 2× catch XP
- August 27 — Mankey: 2× catch Candy
Prepare before the hour starts. Clear Pokémon storage for catch bonuses, save evolutions for Wurmple's XP hour, and keep enough Poké Balls for the full session.
August Max Battles and Max Mondays
The weekly Dynamax rotation is:
- July 26–August 2: Feebas
- August 3–9: Magmar
- August 10–16: Beldum
- August 17–23: Magikarp
- August 24–30: Hitmontop
- August 31–September 6: Eevee
These Pokémon also receive a focused Max Monday hour from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Gigantamax Rillaboom on August 1 is separate from this weekly rotation.
What should you prioritize in August?
- New Pokémon collectors: Focus on Arrokuda, Barraskewda, Cramorant, and Mega Starmie.
- Shiny hunters: Plan for Gigantamax Rillaboom, Snom, Nickit, and the boosted Hatch Day targets.
- Stardust players: Nickit Community Day and the later Water Festival bonuses offer the best clearly announced windows.
- Raid groups: Organize before Rillaboom on August 1 and Mega Starmie on August 22.
- New players: Use the Pokémon GO beginner guide before spending premium passes or paid research money.
The calendar can change when Pokémon GO announces additional details. Last verified August 31, 2026 against the official event pages and the current consolidated August schedule.
