Greg Fortier says he is back in San Francisco for the Pokemon World Championship 2026, and this time he is not just watching. The visitor from Australia qualified to compete in Pokémon Go, and he says this is his second year reaching world championships.
Tens of thousands of Pokémon fans are arriving in San Francisco this week for the Pokémon World Championships and the first-ever Pokémon XP fan convention, with the events centered at Moscone Center. For the city, that means a concentrated burst of out-of-town traffic across multiple venues, with finals set for Sunday at Chase Center.
Moscone West lines on Wednesday
Wednesday brought long lines outside Moscone West as attendees checked in and picked up event credentials. That is the practical reality of a week built around a large draw: people are moving through registration first, then fanning out to the rest of the schedule, including a Pokémon-themed baseball game and drone show planned Thursday at Oracle Park.
Fortier said, "The city has really embraced this. It's kind of crazy," and added, "I'm playing in Pokeman Go.and this is my second year qualifying for world championships." He also said, "I prob spend more tine than anyone should spend on a video game," then described Pokémon XP as, "It's like a mini ComiCon just for Pokemon. I think it awesome," which fits the way the debut convention is being used as a second draw beyond the competition itself.
Alberta, Peru and Japan
Shawn Schimpf came from Alberta, Canada and framed the trip as a trading mission, saying, "These are our pokeman cards. We're here to trade on the world stage." Francisco Alca, a competitor from Peru, said, "I'm actually very excited. My name is also Francisco. It's a city I wanted to visit before."
An attendee from Japan put the draw in the bluntest terms possible: "I love San Francisco yes." That mix of voices points to the same thing — a single week in San Francisco is pulling competitors and visitors from Australia, Canada, Peru and Japan into Moscone Center, Chase Center and Oracle Park at once.
Sunday at Chase Center
The Sunday finals at Chase Center are the clear payoff point for the week, but the bigger operational question is how much visitor spending the city will actually get out of the crowd. The schedule already shows the answer in motion: registration pressure on Wednesday, side events on Thursday, and a championship finish on Sunday.
