Spotlight Hour Returns during the Forever Forward Season, bringing a massive shift to the weekly routine. As confirmed by the official Pokémon GO, the event will now be on Thursdays, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.
What is Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour?
Spotlight Hour is a weekly, one-hour event where a specific Pokémon takes over the wild with massively increased spawn rates. It’s the perfect opportunity for trainers to hunt for high-IV variants, grind for Candy, and hunt for elusive Shiny versions. Along with the boosted spawns, a unique event bonus, either 2x Catch Stardust, Evolve XP, or Transfer Candy, is active during the entire hour.
If you’re hunting for a Shiny, make sure to click on every featured Pokémon you see, even if you don’t plan on catching it. Fast-checking spawns is the best way to maximize your encounters!
Upcoming Spotlight Hours
June 2026 – July 2026
To mark its return, the following Pokémon and rewards will be available.
- Thursday, June 18, 2026: Swinub:
- Bonus: 2× Candy for transferring Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Swinub is available.
- Tip: Use this hour to clear out old legendary or rare Pokémon from your inventory for double transfer candy.
- Thursday, June 25, 2026: Wingull
- Bonus: 2× Stardust for catching Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Wingull is available. –
- Thursday, July 2, 2026: Pidgey
- Bonus: 2× XP for evolving Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Pidgey is available.
- Tip: Save up low-cost evolutions (like Pidgey itself) to mass-evolve during this hour under a Lucky Egg.
- Thursday, July 16, 2026: Zubat
- Bonus: 2× XP for catching Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Zubat is available. –
- Thursday, July 23, 2026: Eevee
- Bonus: 2× Candy for catching Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Eevee is available.
- Thursday, July 30, 2026: Bidoof
- Bonus: 2× Candy for transferring Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Bidoof is available (and highly memed!).
Which June – July 2026 Spotlight Hours Are Worth the Grind?
Not all Spotlight Hours are created equal. Depending on your goals as a trainer, here is a quick breakdown of which Thursdays you absolutely shouldn’t skip:
- Swinub (June 18): Mamoswine remains one of the absolute best Ice- and Ground-type attackers in the entire game for Tier 5 Raids. Missing this hour means missing out on crucial Candy XL.
- Wingull (June 25): Stardust is the most valuable currency in Pokémon GO. Activating a Star Piece during this hour is a mandatory task if you want to power up your competitive teams.
- Pidgey (July 2): The classic “mass evolution” trick is alive and well. Because Pidgey only requires 12 Candies to evolve, you can clear thousands of XP in a single hour by hoarding them.
- Eevee (July 23): With its massive array of “Eevolutions” (like Umbreon for Great/Ultra League or Sylveon for Master League), stocking up on high-IV Eevees is always a top priority for any player.
August 2026
- Thursday, August 6, 2026: Delibird:
- Bonus: 2× Stardust for catching Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Delibird is available.
- Thursday, August 13, 2026: Wurmple
- Bonus: 2× XP for evolving Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Wurmple is available.
- Thursday, August 20, 2026: Magikarp
- Bonus: 2× XP for catching Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Magikarp is available.
- Thursday, August 27, 2026: Mankey
- Bonus: 2× Candy for catching Pokémon.
- Shiny: Yes, Shiny Mankey is available.
August 2026 Spotlight Hours Worth the Grind
Delibird (August 6): While Delibird isn’t a meta-relevant contender for raids or PvP, its 2× Stardust catch bonus makes this a high-priority hour. Popping Star Pieces during this window offers a great opportunity to stack up Stardust.
Wurmple (August 13): Featuring a 2× Evolution XP bonus, this hour is ideal for a mass-evolution session. Because Wurmple has a very low candy evolution cost (12 candies for Cascoon or Silcoon), you can churn through quick XP using Lucky Eggs.
Magikarp (August 20): Highly valuable for both its 2× Catch XP bonus and its shiny variant. Magikarp requires 400 candies to evolve into Gyarados, making the catch bonus and Pinap Berry usage essential for anyone still needing a strong Gyarados or its Mega Evolution.
Mankey (August 27): With Annihilape cementing itself as a powerhouse in both the Go Battle League and raid formats, collecting high-IV Mankey and stacking up candy XL is a major priority. The 2× transfer candy bonus also lets you clear out storage while maximizing candy yields.
READ ALSO: Forever Forward Season June 2 to September 8, 2026
Which Thursday Spotlight Hours Are Worth the Grind?
Not all Spotlight Hours are created equal. Depending on your goals as a trainer, here is a quick breakdown of which Thursdays you absolutely shouldn’t skip:
- Swinub (June 18): Mamoswine remains one of the absolute best Ice- and Ground-type attackers in the entire game for Tier 5 Raids. Missing this hour means missing out on crucial Candy XL.
- Wingull (June 25): Stardust is the most valuable currency in Pokémon GO. Activating a Star Piece during this hour is a mandatory task if you want to power up your competitive teams.
- Pidgey (July 2): The classic “mass evolution” trick is alive and well. Because Pidgey only requires 12 Candies to evolve, you can clear thousands of XP in a single hour by hoarding them.
- Eevee (July 23): With its massive array of “Eevolutions” (like Umbreon for Great/Ultra League or Sylveon for Master League), stocking up on high-IV Eevees is always a top priority for any player.
How to Prepare for Thursday Spotlight Hours
To make the most out of your one-hour grind, a little preparation goes a long way. Here are a few essential tips to get ready:
- Stockpile Poké Balls: Because Pokémon spawn rapidly during this event, you’ll burn through your inventory quickly. Aim to have at least 100–150 Great or Ultra Balls ready.
- Clear Your Storage: Don’t waste precious event minutes transferring Pokémon to make room. Clear out your storage the night before.
- Coordinate Your Items:
- 2× Stardust: make sure to pop two Star Pieces right at 6:00 p.m. to boost your Stardust gains.
- 2× XP: crack open two Lucky Eggs to maximize your experience points while evolving and catching.
- 2× Catch Candy: use Pinap Berries on the Eevee spawns to walk away with a massive candy hoard for your Eevolutions.
- 2x Transfer Candy: Use this to clear out old legendary or rare Pokémon from your inventory for double transfer candy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get Shiny Pokémon during Thursday Spotlight Hours?
Yes! The Shiny rates themselves are not boosted during the event (they remain at the standard wild rate of roughly 1-in-512), but because the sheer volume of spawns is so high, your mathematical chances of encountering a Shiny are vastly improved.
Why did Spotlight Hour move to Thursdays?
Scopely Explore shifted the schedule as part of the *Forever Forward* season adjustments to better balance the weekly cadence of events alongside Wednesday Raid Hours and weekend Community Days.
