almost 5 years ago - The Pokémon GO team - Direct link

Trainers,

We’re excited to announce the details of the upcoming Safari Zone Philadelphia event happening in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Friday, May 8, to Sunday, May 10, 2020.

On the southern end of this sprawling park filled with woodlands, waterfronts, and historic sights, Trainers will have the chance to encounter Voltorb, Alolan Sandshrew, Unown P, Bronzor, Rufflet, and more in the park during the event period. Attendees who haven’t yet had a chance to catch Mr. Mime, a Pokémon typically only available in Europe, will be in luck—Mr. Mime will be appearing in the park as well. If you haven’t guessed the theme yet, then here’s a hint: most of these Pokémon are red, white, or blue in color! And if you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Voltorb! Regular Voltorb is red and white, but Shiny Voltorb is blue and white. See what we did there? Notice something new here? Don't worry Trainers! Rufflet will be available globally for all Trainers before this event.

Interested in traveling to the historic city of Philadelphia? You can grab a ticket to the Safari Zone event once tickets go live this Monday, February 24, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. EST / 5:00 a.m. PST! Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18, plus taxes and fees. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay.

We’re excited to test out the City Explorer Pass as well, which will be available for purchase alongside Safari Zone tickets for those who want to get up and GO for the full event weekend—even outside the Safari Zone event area! The City Explorer Pass will be $8, plus taxes and fees, and will be available for purchase only along with a Safari Zone ticket. It cannot be purchased after a ticket order is complete and is not eligible for refunds or transfers.

With the City Explorer Pass, you’ll be able to take part in City Explorer Raids, hatch Eggs faster throughout Philadelphia, and access other exclusive bonuses for the full event weekend. City Explorers will enjoy the following benefits.

  • 10 City Explorer Raids on a 72-hour timer will take place at iconic city locations that will be chosen in partnership with the City of Philadelphia. These raids will be accessible only by City Explorers. With varying levels of difficulty and a wide variety of Pokémon to battle, these raids will offer challenges that City Explorers of all levels can enjoy! Access to these raids will be included in the City Explorer Pass—no Premium Battle Passes needed.
    • Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres will be available in three five-star City Explorer Raids.
    • Braviary, the Evolution of Safari Zone Philadelphia’s featured Pokémon Rufflet, will be available in a two-star raid.
    • The Legendary Pokémon and EX Raid Pokémon that are available in general while the Safari Zone is running will be appearing in two five-star raids.
    • The other four City Explorer Raids will feature one Raid Battle each from each level of difficulty from one star to four star.
  • 1/2 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed into Incubators within the city.
  • Exclusive Field Research tasks will be granted by PokéStops throughout the city.
  • Regular Lure Modules will last four hours if placed by City Explorers within the city. All Trainers will benefit from those four-hour Lure Modules, not just City Explorers.
  • One-hour Incense duration within the city.

The City Explorer Pass gameplay experience will last the full weekend, from Friday, May 8, at 6:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 10, at 10:00 p.m. EDT. We know that Trainers come to our Safari Zones from all over to experience a special one-day Pokémon GO live event. By offering an additional experience that spans the entire weekend, we hope that City Explorers and their friends can embark on even more adventures throughout the host city. We’re excited to bring Pokémon GO adventures to the whole area and to explore the city together!

Be sure to make plans early to ensure you obtain transportation and accommodations for the event. We’re super excited for even more events coming up in 2020 and look forward to sharing more details soon. We can’t wait to see you, Trainers!

—The Pokémon GO team