Pokemon Worlds 2026 takes over San Francisco from August 28 to 30, and Luke Whittier will throw the first pitch at Oracle Park on August 27. The final day moves to Chase Center, while PokémonXP debuts as a new fan convention alongside the World Championships.
Luke Whittier and Oracle Park
Luke Whittier, the 2025 World Champion, is scheduled to handle the first-pitch duties at Oracle Park before the main weekend begins. Pokémon Worlds Night adds a Pokémon-themed drone show over the park, giving the event a public-facing lead-in before the invite-only competition starts.
Moscone Center and Chase Center
The 2026 Pokémon World Championships run at Moscone Center from August 28 to 30, with the final day at Chase Center. The competition covers Pokémon video games, the Trading Card Game, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE, which keeps the focus on four distinct formats rather than a single title.
PokémonXP joins the weekend
PokémonXP makes its debut this weekend in San Francisco as a major fan convention from The Pokémon Company International, with panels, workshops, and numerous fun activities. Union Square is also set for a free screening of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, with pre-show activities at 5 pm and the movie at 8 pm, while the Nintendo store on Union Square will be open 10 am to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday.
The sharp split is the point: the championships remain invite-only for competitive players from around the world, even as thousands of fans are expected to gather across the city. San Francisco is getting a tight cluster of competitive play and fan programming, but the open question is how many people will move between Moscone Center, Chase Center, Oracle Park, and Union Square over the three days.
