Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026 Ultra Unlock

This year’s Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026 Ultra Unlock event brings highly anticipated Galar region debuts, massive stardust and XP scaling bonuses, and more. Likewise, get your Rainy Lure Modules ready.

Here are the things you need to know for now to prepare for the festival.

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Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026 Event Schedule

The Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026 event is scheduled to start on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time. It will continue until Monday, August 24, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

This event marks the highly anticipated arrival of three fan-favorite Pokémon originally discovered in the Galar region:

Cramorant: The Gulp Pokémon is making its official Pokémon GO debut! This unique flying- and water-type Pokémon will debut in Eggs, the GO Pass, and as GO Battle League reward encounters. Please note that you may encounter Cramorant in both GO Battle League reward tracks starting at Rank 16. However, it will appear more frequently in the premium track.
Arrokuda & Barraskewda: The Rush Pokémon, Arrokuda, will be available in Pokémon GO for the first time. You can encounter it through Field Research task rewards, Rainy Lure Modules, and the event’s GO Pass progression track. You can evolve Arrokuda into Barraskewda using 50 Arrokuda Candy.

Form Change Mechanics: In an exciting twist, Cramorant will be able to change forms directly in battle, opening up fresh tactical options for your teams. Note that it will be temporarily restricted from the Competitors Cup.

(Note: Shiny Cramorant and Shiny Arrokuda will not be available during this Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026.)

The Return of a Fan-Favorite Costume

If you missed out on it previously, you are in luck. Psyduck wearing a swim ring is making its return for the Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026. If you are lucky, you might even encounter a Shiny one!

Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026: Wild Encounters, Raids, and Regional Variants

Keep an eye out for these specific spawns and raid bosses during the week:

Wild Spawns: Psyduck, Goldeen, Mareanie, and Wimpod will be in the wild, with rare appearances from Feebas and Clamperl. Wiglett will also see increased spawn rates in its natural beach/coast biomes.
One-Star Raids: Tatsugiri forms will appear in different regions.
- Curly Form: Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
- Droopy Form: The Americas
- Stretchy Form: Asia-Pacific
- Costume: Psyduck wearing a swim ring will also be available.
Three-Star Raids: Lapras wearing a scarf, Hisuian Samurott, and Dondozo.

Note that because the Tatsugiri forms are locked to specific global regions, you will need to rely on Remote Raid Passes and international friends to collect all three forms if you are playing outside their respective areas.

Escalating Event Bonuses (XP & Stardust)

The Pokémon GO Water Festival 2026 event features a unique scaling bonus system that rewards players more heavily the later the event goes. Plan your grinding sessions accordingly:

Tuesday. August 18 (10 a.m. local) to Thursday, August 20 (10 a.m. local): 2× Catch XP & 3× Catch Stardust
Thursday, August 20 (10 a.m local) to Saturday, August 22 (10 a.m. local): 3× Catch XP & 4× Catch Stardust
Saturday, August 22 (10 a.m. local) to Monday, August 24 (8 p.m. local): 4× Catch XP & 5× Catch Stardust

Tip for Maxing Rewards: Save your Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces for the final stretch of the event (August 22–24). Stacking a Star Piece on top of the 5× catch bonus will grant a massive 7.5× Stardust per catch, making it the absolute best time to grind.

However, if you have more resources, you can start grinding XP and Stardust from the start of the event.

Additional Boosts:

Rainy Lure Modules will specifically attract Arrokuda throughout the event.
Shiny hunters will have an increased chance to find Shiny Ducklett and Shiny Dewpider.
Reach Major Milestones on your event GO Pass to unlock the following bonuses.
- - Tier 1 – Rank 10: 2× Candy for catching Pokémon.
  - Tier 2 – Rank 20: 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during the event period.

GO Pass: Water Festival

All players will automatically receive the free track on August 18. You can collect GO Points and rank up to get additional rewards through Monday, August 24, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Paid Upgrades (GO Pass Deluxe)

Trainers looking for extra rewards can purchase upgrades in the in-game shop or via the Pokémon GO Web Store:

GO Pass Deluxe ($4.99): Unlocks faster progression, an event-themed avatar item, Silver Pinap Berries, Rare Candy XL, and extra encounters.
GO Pass Deluxe + 6 Ranks ($6.99): Grants all deluxe rewards and automatically boosts you straight to Rank 7.

Rewards unlocked in the GO Pass will expire on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Tip: If you purchase the Deluxe passes on the Pokémon GO Web Store, you will receive bonus items like Ultra Balls, Max Revives, and Premium Battle Passes.