⚡ Quick Read
- May 2 (2–5 PM local): Shadow Entei Raid Day — up to 6 free Raid Passes, boosted Shiny odds, Remote Raid limit raised to 20
- May 6–June 2: Shadow Cresselia joins Shadow Raids
- May 9 (2–5 PM local): Lechonk Community Day — 2x Candy, 1/4 Egg Hatch Distance, Oinkologne learns Mud Slap
- May 13–19: Region-locked Five-Star Raids with Buzzwole, Pheromosa, and Xurkitree
- May 16: Community Day Classic — featured Pokémon still unannounced
- May 23 (2–5 PM local): Mega Raid Day — featured Pokémon TBA
- May 29–June 1: Pokemon GO Fest 2026 opens in Tokyo featuring Mewtwo and Mythical Pokémon Zeraora
- Mega Mewtwo X and Y debut remains the biggest rumor heading into GO Fest 2026
May is shaping up to be one of the busiest months Pokemon GO has seen in a long time. Niantic has officially laid out the full event schedule, and it’s a packed calendar — two Raid Days, two Community Days, region-exclusive Five-Star Raids, and the opening chapter of GO Fest 2026 all landing within a single month. With the game’s 10th anniversary arriving in July, the ramp-up feels very deliberate. Niantic clearly wants every type of player — casual, competitive, and collector — to find something worth showing up for.
Here’s a complete breakdown of everything confirmed for May 2026, including newly surfaced details that fill in the gaps from the initial announcement.
Shadow Entei Raid Day – May 2, 2026
The month kicks off on May 2 with an Entei Shadow Raid Day, and it’s one of the more rewarding formats the game has run in recent months. Shadow Entei takes over Shadow Raids during a three-hour window from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time, and trainers will have a boosted chance of encountering a Shiny version — which alone makes this worth blocking off the afternoon.
As a pure Fire-type, Shadow Entei is genuinely one of the best Fire attackers in the game. Its 235 base Attack stat gets pushed even further by the shadow bonus, and a moveset of Fire Spin and Overheat gives it serious damage output in raids. It ranks S-Tier among Fire-type attackers, making this event appealing for players building out their raid teams and not just shiny hunters.
Free event bonuses during the Raid Day window include:
- Up to 6 free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs
- Increased Shiny rate for Shadow Entei encounters
- Remote Raid limit raised to 20, active from May 1 at 5:00 PM PDT through May 2 at 8:00 PM PDT
For trainers planning a more serious session, a paid ticket is available in-game and through the Pokémon GO Web Store for $4.99 (regional pricing applies). It raises the daily Raid Pass cap to 14 from Gym spins, adds a boosted chance at Rare Candy XL from Raid Battles, and doubles Stardust earned during the event. Tickets can also be gifted to any friend you’ve reached Great Friends status with, making it easy to bring someone along. Note the ticket is only available until 5:00 PM local time on May 2, so don’t leave the purchase too late.
Separately, Shadow Cresselia begins appearing in Shadow Raids from May 6 through June 2, giving trainers a solid five-week window to chase the Lunar Pokémon in its shadow form.
Shadow Entei Raid Counters to Know
Shadow Entei is weak to Ground, Rock, and Water-type moves. Top counters include Primal Kyogre, Rhyperior, Garchomp, and Rampardos. Weather-boosted Rain or Sunny conditions will affect which side benefits more, so plan accordingly before queuing up.
Lechonk Community Day – May 9, 2026
The weekend after the Shadow Raid Day brings a completely different vibe. Lechonk, the chunky Hog Pokémon introduced in Generation IX’s Paldea region, takes center stage for May’s Community Day from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time on May 9. Trainers who evolve Lechonk into Oinkologne during the event — or up to four hours after it ends, before 9:00 PM — will unlock the exclusive Fast Attack Mud Slap, which carries 11 power in Trainer Battles and 19 power in Gyms and Raids.
Active bonuses during the three-hour core window:
- 2x Catch Candy
- 2x chance at Candy XL for trainers Level 31 and above
- 1/4 Egg Hatch Distance for Eggs placed in Incubators during the event
- 3-hour Incense when activated during the event (excludes Daily Adventure Incense)
- 50% less Stardust for Trades, plus one additional Special Trade for the day
Standard Lure Modules get a notable extended bonus during this event. From 2:00 PM all the way to 9:00 PM, active Lures will attract Lechonk at a high rate, and those spawns will still carry boosted Shiny odds along with a chance at Special Background variants. Taking a few snapshots during the event will also trigger a Lechonk photobomb for AR enthusiasts.
Shiny Lechonk is available with Community Day’s standard boosted rate of roughly 1-in-20. A $1.99 Special Research ticket adds bonus encounters with Special Background Lechonk and extra rewards. An Ultra Community Day Box — five Ultra Balls plus a research ticket — is also available for $1.99 on the Pokémon GO Web Store.
Is Oinkologne Worth Powering Up?
Oinkologne lands in mediocre territory for both PvP and raids as a pure Normal-type. It won’t be replacing Snorlax or Lickitung on anyone’s team anytime soon. That said, Mud Slap gives it something new to work with, and Lechonk’s charm as a Community Day catch — especially in its pink Shiny form — is reason enough for most trainers to show up regardless.
Community Day Classic – May 16, 2026
The Community Day Classic on May 16 is the event Niantic has stayed quietest about. No featured Pokémon has been announced, and the mystery is driving plenty of speculation across the community. Classic events spotlight a Pokémon that previously had its own Community Day, which puts names like Dratini, Larvitar, Beldum, Gible, and Deino among the most frequently discussed candidates. Niantic usually teases the reveal within a week or two of the event, so an announcement in early May is likely. Check back as that date approaches.
Five-Star and Mega Raid Rotation for May 2026
Beyond the dedicated Raid Days, May’s wider raid pool is well-stocked. Nihilego, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini headline Five-Star Raids for all players throughout the month, keeping Alola Legendaries in regular circulation.
From May 13 to 19, Five-Star Raids go regional with Ultra Beasts:
- Buzzwole — Americas and Greenland
- Pheromosa — Europe, the Middle East, and India
- Xurkitree — Asia-Pacific regions
On the Mega side, four Pokémon rotate through on a weekly basis: Mega Camerupt, Mega Glalie, Mega Altaria, and Mega Medicham. It’s a varied spread across types, giving trainers working on their Mega Pokédex consistent options throughout the month. Mega Camerupt is worth highlighting as a Fire and Ground-type pairing that complements the Entei focus from earlier in May.
Mega Raid Day – May 23, 2026
The Mega Raid Day is confirmed for May 23 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time, matching the same format as the Shadow Entei event. The featured Mega Pokémon has not been revealed yet, and Niantic is staying deliberately quiet. With GO Fest 2026 beginning just six days later and Mega Mewtwo carrying months of speculation behind it, some trainers are watching this slot closely for a potential surprise. Nothing is confirmed either way, and more details are expected as the date approaches.
Pokemon GO Fest 2026 Kicks Off in Tokyo – May 29
The biggest moment of the month has nothing to do with a Raid Day. Pokemon GO Fest 2026 launches its first in-person chapter in Tokyo from May 29 through June 1, centered at Tokyo Waterfront City across the Minato, Koto, and Shinagawa wards, with Odaiba Seaside Park as the main park venue. Citywide gameplay kicks off even earlier on May 25, opening up a broader exploration experience across Tokyo’s distinct districts before the main event begins.
This year’s structure introduces a new option: the City Explorer Pass, which lets trainers access citywide gameplay without purchasing a full park session ticket — a first for GO Fest globally. Trainers with park tickets work through skill-based zone challenges across four areas of the venue, earn an exclusive Pokémon GO Expert Medal, and close each park session with a large multi-trainer climactic raid.
Two Pokémon sit at the center of GO Fest 2026: Mewtwo and Zeraora. Mewtwo returns to citywide Five-Star Raids throughout the Tokyo event, while Zeraora makes its Pokémon GO debut as this year’s exclusive Mythical encounter via ticketed Special Research. Trainers can only encounter Zeraora once regardless of how many Special Research stories they complete — attending multiple in-person events earns bonus Zeraora Candy instead of additional encounters.
Other highlights confirmed for the Tokyo event:
- Aqua Breed Paldean Tauros in three-star raids — a dual Fighting and Water-type normally found only in the Western Hemisphere
- Shiny Wash Rotom making its Pokémon GO debut for the first time ever
- Comfey appearing in the wild — normally a Hawaii regional, available to all in-person ticket holders
- Team Mystic–themed Costume Pikachu exclusive to the Tokyo event
Tokyo park session tickets are priced at ¥3,500 early bird or ¥4,000 general admission, covering either a morning (10:00 AM–2:00 PM) or afternoon (2:00–8:00 PM) session. <h3>GO Fest 2026 Full Schedule at a Glance</h3>
- Tokyo — May 29 to June 1 (Tokyo Waterfront City)
- Chicago — June (Grant Park)
- Copenhagen — June (Fælledparken)
- Global — July 11–12 (online, open to all trainers worldwide)
The Global event on July 11–12 is a direct nod to the game’s original July 2016 launch, tying the anniversary celebration back to where it all started. Full details on the Global event haven’t been confirmed yet, but trainers who can’t make any of the in-person stops will have their chance then.
Will Mega Mewtwo X and Y Finally Debut at GO Fest 2026?
The question that has followed the Pokemon GO community all year is whether GO Fest 2026 finally brings Mega Mewtwo to the game. Both Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y exist in the mainline series and have been absent from Pokémon GO despite Mega Evolutions becoming a standard feature years ago. Their absence has become one of the most talked-about gaps in the game’s roster.
At a Tokyo press conference earlier this year, a Niantic staff member offered a pointed comment about Mewtwo’s role at GO Fest — describing it as something that would be “heart-pounding excitement” for players who have been participating since the early days. That phrasing goes well beyond a standard raid return, and the community has taken it as a strong signal that something significant is planned.
Whether both Mega forms arrive simultaneously, one debuts first, or the reveal takes a different shape entirely is still unknown. But if Mega Mewtwo X and Y do finally land at GO Fest 2026, it would be one of the most meaningful additions in the game’s history — and exactly the kind of milestone moment a 10th anniversary deserves.
