The big Dortmund GO Fest starts this weekend in Pokémon GO! We are perfectly preparing you for it and will show you how to make the most of the event.
When does the GO Fest run? The Dortmund GO Fest starts this Thursday, July 4th, and runs until Sunday, July 7th. However, each player can only access the venue and the spawns on-site for one day.
A lot will happen at the GO Fest. You can meet trainers from around the world, start a new special research, and catch various Shinies.
How to prepare yourself as best as possible
What should I bring? The most important thing is, of course, a fully charged phone battery, which means you should also bring a power bank. If the battery is empty, you can no longer play. Therefore, the mobile charging station is all the more important.
Otherwise, you should bring a bottle to drink. You can refill this bottle with water for free on-site. Food will be provided at the GO Fest, but if you want something special, you should also prepare for that.
How can I prepare within the game? If you are really into it, you can play at the GO Fest for up to 10 hours. Accordingly, your inventory should be tidy. So empty your Pokémon box and your bag again. Nothing is more annoying than sorting through clutter. We recommend having at least 300 slots in your bag and Pokémon box.
Additionally, you should stock up on Poké Balls. There will be various PokéStops at the GO Fest, but the spawns on-site are also increased. So you could quickly run out of balls.
If you want to trade with other players on-site, simply call your trading material “Trade” in advance. This way, everyone can find each other faster and show their counterpart better.
How entry at the GO Fest works
Do I need a ticket? Your account is your ticket. Depending on which day you purchased access, your account will be activated.
On your game day, simply go to the entrance indicated on your ticket or in the confirmation email. There you will then enter the park. The Westfalenpark is fenced, so you can certainly expect bag checks. So be prepared for that and bring plenty of time.
What can I bring? You are allowed to bring drinks up to 0.33 liters onto the premises. Large cameras, however, are prohibited. Additionally, you cannot bring dogs. A detailed list of items that you may not bring can be found on the website of GO Fest.
All about the map and habitats at the GO Fest
Is there a map? The exact map of the GO Fest is already known. You will likely find yourself at various points on-site, allowing you to navigate well. We will show it to you here (click to enlarge):
What will be there? The offerings on-site are huge. You will find plenty of food, but there are also other offerings from Niantic. Here are some highlights:
- Signings with well-known YouTubers such as Spieletrend, TrainerTips, or Reversal
- 2 merchandise booths for original Pokémon merchandise
- A Battle Ground to compete in PvP
- 3 team lounges
- 2 routes to hatch eggs
What do we know about the habitats? At the GO Fest in Dortmund, there will be 4 different habitats. In these places, Pokémon of special types will spawn. So there will be:
- Steel Factory
- Mysterious Woods
- Boat Lake
- Rocky Terrain
Of course, Pokémon will also spawn in the rest of the Westfalenpark. At these habitats, the Pokémon will only be of special types.
Everything about event Pokémon and GO Fest quests
What Pokémon will be there? You will find around 60 event Pokémon on-site. A detailed list of spawns can be found in this article:
However, here are some highlights of these spawns:
- Venusaur (regional Pokémon)
- Unown
- Sandshrew
- Nidoran male
- Shuckle
- Klink
- Bronzor
- Magnemite
- Meditite
- Bagon
- Scyther
What are the chances of a Shiny? The Shiny rate in Dortmund will be significantly increased. In Chicago, many players suspected the rate to be between 1 in 25 to 1 in 50. So you will likely catch many Shinies if you make good use of the event hours.
What do we know about the quests? There will also be special quests to complete at the GO Fest. In Chicago, there were only field researches that granted you 3 special candies each. If we believe the leaks from Chrales, such quests might also await us in Dortmund.
All about the new special research and catching Jirachi
What do we know about the special research: A special research has been announced for the Dortmund GO Fest. It will revolve around Jirachi, as Niantic announced on Twitter.
The special research in Chicago was well solvable within a day. So you should likely have no problem with it in Dortmund either.
What quests does the research include? Data miner Chrales has already found some quests for the GO Fest. Whether they will be implemented the same way in the end remains to be seen. The order of tasks is also not known yet:
- Take a picture of Nidoran in the “Rocky Terrain”
- Take a picture of Bagon at the “Boat Lake”
- Take a picture of Scyther in the “Mysterious Woods”
- Take a picture of Meditite in the “Mysterious Woods”
- Take a picture of Magnemite at the “Steel Factory”
A detailed overview of the Jirachi research can be found in this extra article:
5 tips to make the most of the GO Fest
Tip 1 – Think about what you want to trade ahead of time: At the GO Fest in Chicago, there were signs for trainers to write the Pokémon they wanted to trade for.
To improve communication, we recommend printing out images of the Pokémon you need and bringing them along. This way, everyone can see which Pokémon you require.
At the GO Fest, you can perform 5 special trades. So think carefully about which 5 Pokémon you absolutely want to have.
Tip 2 – Go to the merchandise stand early: Buying a T-shirt at the end of the GO Fest is certainly a good idea. However, almost every GO Fest visitor will likely have the same idea. So go to the stands early. They will be less crowded, and you’ll also have more merchandise choices.
Tip 3 – Use the catch trick: The spawns at the GO Fest will not run out. So use one of the catch tricks to catch lots of Pokémon. Those who are quick will have more chances for Shinies.
Tip 4 – Utilize the habitats: If you are primarily looking for specific Shinies, you should use the habitats to your advantage. For example, if you are searching for a shiny Magnemite, you will likely find it in the Steel Factory and not at Boat Lake.
Tip 5 – Spend several days in Dortmund: There’s a lot happening around the GO Fest in Dortmund. So it’s worth exploring outside the Westfalenpark.
You will surely encounter various lures and will always have enough players in raid lobbies. So the whole weekend could be a real Pokémon experience.
To get you in the mood for the GO Fest, we will show you here some images of the setup:
