Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards is separate from the global World Space Week event running at the same time. From October 4 to October 10, 2026, Trainers worldwide can encounter Astronaut Pikachu in one-star raids and through free Timed Research without visiting an ESA site or participating museum.
The ESA and museum locations below still matter for their location-specific gameplay, and the six museums retain the special Astronaut Pikachu Location Background opportunity plus the longer event window through April 30, 2027. Global World Space Week access therefore expands the ways to get the costume without replacing the location-exclusive background route.
Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards brings Astronaut Pikachu, location-based raids, Timed Research and a week of extra Field Research and wild encounters to science, space and ESA locations across Europe. The event has two overlapping schedules, so the rewards available depend on whether you visit a participating museum or an ESA facility.
The museum portion runs from October 4, 2026 until April 30, 2027, while the ESA-site portion runs only from October 4 to October 10. Museums also have access to special Location Backgrounds. ESA sites receive the announced gameplay during their shorter window, but Location Backgrounds are excluded.
Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards
Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards Image Scopely
The core of Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards is a six-museum collaboration running for almost seven months. Astronaut Pikachu appears in one-star raids at those museums, and successful in-person raiders have the opportunity to catch the costume with a special Location Background.
| Participating museum | City / country |
|---|---|
| Science Museum | London, England |
| Cité de l’espace | Toulouse, France |
| Deutsches Museum | Nuremberg, Germany |
| Museu de les Ciències | València, Spain |
| Space Expo | Noordwijk, Netherlands |
| Euro Space Center | Transinne, Belgium |
All ESA locations for the October event window
A second layer of Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards runs from October 4 through October 10 at seven ESA sites. These locations receive the announced event gameplay, but the official announcement specifically removes Location Backgrounds from the ESA-site version.
| ESA site | Location |
|---|---|
| ESA HQ | Paris, France |
| ESA ESRIN | Frascati, Italy |
| ESA ESOC | Darmstadt, Germany |
| ESA ESAC | Near Madrid, Spain |
| ESA ESTEC | Noordwijk, Netherlands |
| ESA ESEC | Near Redu, Belgium |
| ESA ECSAT | Harwell, UK |
Astronaut Pikachu raids and Location Backgrounds
The headline reward in Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards is Astronaut Pikachu. It appears in one-star raids at the participating museums, and the event page confirms that the costume can be Shiny. Museum raid catches can also have a special Location Background, although the wording describes this as an opportunity rather than a guarantee on every catch.
Location Backgrounds are the major dividing line between the two location groups. They are part of the museum event, while ESA facilities are explicitly excluded. If the background is your priority, visit one of the six museums rather than relying on an ESA site during the October 4 to October 10 window.
Timed Research and Field Research
Research is another major part of Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards – obviously. Museum visitors can unlock event Timed Research anytime during the long October 4 to April 30 period. Pokémon GO says the tasks award items and event-themed encounters, with some research encounters able to carry a Location Background.
From October 4 to October 10, spinning PokéStops at participating museums adds event Field Research. Those tasks also provide rewards and event-themed Pokémon encounters, and some of the museum research encounters may have a Location Background. The individual task list and exact reward table have not been announced ahead of the event, so check the live research screen once the event begins.
Wild encounters from October 4 to October 10
The opening week gives Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards another reason to visit. Pikachu, Clefairy, Magnemite, Starmie, Lunatone, Solrock, Elgyem and Blipbug appear more frequently around participating locations from October 4 through October 10.
Every species in that announced wild pool is marked as Shiny-eligible. The event announcement does not publish boosted Shiny odds, so increased spawn volume should be treated as more checks rather than proof of an enhanced Shiny rate.
Which event location should you visit?
For collectors, Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards is strongest at the museums because they combine the long event dates with Astronaut Pikachu raids, Timed Research and Location Background eligibility. Visiting between October 4 and October 10 also adds Field Research and the event wild-spawn pool.
ESA locations are useful for players who can reach one during the opening week, but remember the no-background rule. The UK is a good example: the Science Museum in London participates in the long museum event, while ESA ECSAT at Harwell receives the shorter gameplay window without Location Backgrounds.
The official Pokémon GO event page is the first-party reference for Pokémon GO ESA Event All Locations Research and Rewards. The practical plan is to choose a museum if you want the most complete version of the event, and prioritise October 4 to October 10 if you also want the Field Research and increased wild encounters.
