When Does the Pokémon GO Festival of Colors Start?

One of the fun things about globe-spanning mobile games is that they present lots of opportunities to connect with and learn about cultures outside of your own. For example, have you ever heard of Holi, the Festival of Colors? It’s a Hindu festival that’s celebrated at the tail-end of March every year in India. It represents the arrival of Spring and the celebration of love in the world. It’s a lovely holiday, and a great time to get outside and look for some Pokémon. But when, exactly, does the Pokémon GO Festival of Colors start?

Pokémon GO’s Festival of Colors will coincide with the real Festival of Colors as it begins on Sunday, March 28th. In preparation for the event, however, starting on Friday, March 26th, trainers can obtain black and white avatar t-shirts adorned with the vibrant colors of the festival. It’s important to note, however, that since Holi is an Indian holiday, this event will only be running in India. If you’re hoping to get in on the shirts and bonuses anywhere else, you’re unfortunately out of luck. 

When Does the Pokémon GO Festival of Colors Start?

Speaking of bonuses, though, what will there be to look forward to during the festivities? While normal spawn rates aren’t affected, utilizing Incense will cause Pokémon that represent the various colors of the Festival to appear in greater numbers. These Pokémon include, but are not limited to:

• Bulbasaur
• Pikachu
• Jigglypuff
• Alolan Grimer
• Seel 
• Marill
• Sunkern
• Murkrow
• Slugma
• Aron
• Trapinch
• Drifloon

Additionally, there will be some special event-exclusive field research tasks that will reward all sorts of practical goodies, such as various types of PokéBalls, various berries, Mega Energy, potions, and specific Pokémon encounters.

Finally, the entire Indian Pokémon GO community will be invited to participate in the India Wayfarer Challenge, wherein users who review and approve Wayspots around India contribute to a grand total across all Trainers. There are three tiers of rewards that are met when the community approves 3,000, 5,000, and 8,000 new Wayspots, with prizes including free shop bundles, increased encounters, and XP multipliers.