GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale runs one weekend only — Saturday, September 5 through Sunday, September 6, 10 AM to 6 PM local time each day [1]. Three things close when that clock runs out and won’t come back until the next GO Fest-tier event: the day-exclusive Super Mega Raid boss (Mega Mewtwo X is Saturday-only, Mega Mewtwo Y is Sunday-only), the unlimited-Remote-Raids-plus-Mega-CP-boost bonus, and the GO Pass: Mega Finale reward track [1][2]. If you’re on Eastern time, Sunday’s cutoff lands at 6 PM ET (22:00 UTC); on Pacific time it’s 6 PM PT (01:00 UTC Monday) — GO Fest runs on each player’s own local clock, not one shared global deadline [2].
Before Saturday: The Mega Ascension Lead-In
The GO Pass: Mega Finale track doesn’t wait for the weekend — it opened Monday, August 31 at 10 AM local time, alongside a five-day Mega Ascension event running through Friday, September 4 at 11:59 PM [1][2]. Any GO Pass progress, free-track Mega Energy or Deluxe rewards earned during Mega Ascension carries straight into the weekend total — there’s no separate reset. If you’re planning to Mega Evolve something specific for the Saturday or Sunday raids, this lead-in window is when to bank the Mega Energy for it, since a raid-heavy event weekend burns through stored Energy fast and Ascension is the only stretch before the Finale where you’re not also competing with everyone else for the same Remote Raid invites.
Why the Mewtwo Split Is a Day, Not a Weekend
Most GO Fest raid bosses rotate through all four habitats and repeat twice a day, but the Super Mega Raid boss works differently — it’s tied to the calendar day, not the habitat clock. Mega Mewtwo X occupies every Super Mega Raid gym on Saturday; Mega Mewtwo Y takes over the same gyms on Sunday [1]. Niantic hasn’t listed either form as available outside its assigned day, so build your Mewtwo raid counters lineup for whichever form matches the day you’re actually playing — X and Y have different weaknesses, and showing up Sunday expecting X gets you nothing.
The Bonus Window and the GO Pass Track That Ends With It
Two bonuses run for the full event, and only the full event: Remote Raid passes carry no daily-use cap from Saturday’s opening bell through Sunday’s close, and every Mega-Evolved Pokemon gets extra CP for the same stretch [1]. Outside this window, Remote Raid passes revert to their normal daily limit, which makes this the one weekend a full slate of Mega Mewtwo, Mega Gyarados and Mega Dragonite raids is realistically farmable without leaving the couch. Layered on top is GO Pass: Mega Finale, live since Monday, August 31 and closing the same moment the event does [1]. The free track pays out enough Mega Energy for one Mega Evolution; the Deluxe upgrade adds bonus Candy, Candy XL, XP and a better shot at Shiny Mega Raid encounters [2]. Once Sunday’s clock hits zero, whatever Mega Energy and rewards you haven’t claimed on that track are gone — it doesn’t carry over or reopen later.
Full Hour-by-Hour Schedule
Each day rotates four habitats, and each habitat repeats once in the afternoon — the table below folds both windows into a single row per habitat. Kalos starters Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie spawn in every habitat on both days, so don’t bother habitat-hopping to find one [1].
| Day | Local Time | Habitat | Mega Raid Bosses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 10–11 AM & 2–3 PM | Verdant Overgrowth | Mega Beedrill, Mega Victreebel, Mega Pinsir, Mega Abomasnow |
| Saturday | 11 AM–12 PM & 3–4 PM | Mindworks Canal | Mega Alakazam, Mega Slowbro, Mega Starmie, Mega Medicham |
| Saturday | 12–1 PM & 4–5 PM | Eerie Alley | Mega Gengar, Mega Houndoom, Mega Banette, Mega Malamar |
| Saturday | 1–2 PM & 5–6 PM | Circuit Plaza | Mega Raichu X, Mega Ampharos, Mega Manectric |
| Saturday (all day) | 10 AM–6 PM | Designated Super Mega Raid gyms | Mega Mewtwo X |
| Sunday | 10–11 AM & 2–3 PM | Iron Frostworks | Mega Steelix, Mega Skarmory, Mega Aggron, Mega Glalie |
| Sunday | 11 AM–12 PM & 3–4 PM | Battle District | Mega Sharpedo, Mega Camerupt, Mega Lopunny, Mega Falinks |
| Sunday | 12–1 PM & 4–5 PM | Skyline Roosts | Mega Gyarados, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Dragonite, Mega Altaria |
| Sunday | 1–2 PM & 5–6 PM | Prism Promenade | Mega Raichu Y, Mega Sableye, Mega Mawile, Mega Audino |
| Sunday (all day) | 10 AM–6 PM | Designated Super Mega Raid gyms | Mega Mewtwo Y |
The biggest takeaway from that grid: nothing repeats across days. Every Mega boss listed under Saturday is absent Sunday and vice versa, so if a specific Mega counter is your goal, check which day it’s actually scheduled before you plan your route.
What I’m Prioritizing With My Remaining Hours
I’m not spending raid time chasing Mega Beedrill or Mega Victreebel — both cycle through normal Mega rotations often enough that missing them here isn’t a real loss. My hours are going to the two things that genuinely don’t come back: whichever Mewtwo form is live on the day I’m playing, and stacking Remote Raid invites with my raid group while the no-limit bonus is up, since that’s the only way to clear a full Mega roster without driving to four different gyms. Before you lock in a plan, open the event card in your Today View and check your own countdown — it’s running on your phone’s local clock, not a shared one, so your actual close time depends on your time zone, not the date alone.
Sources
- Leek Duck. Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale — Event Schedule. Leek Duck
- Niantic. Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale. Pokémon GO
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.