Pokémon GO Water Festival Beach Week: Start Time, Featured Pokémon & More

As Trainers bid farewell to a season filled with heroic deeds and splendid rewards, it’s time to relax and enjoy the summer months during the Season of Hidden Gems. The Water Festival event returns this season, emphasizing the relaxing beach life with plenty of aquatic Pokémon and themed activities.

This event marks the in-game debut of Sandygast and Palossand, and there are new themed Research tasks to claim and complete for this event. We have the details on the Water Festival: Beach Week event, including its event schedule, featured Pokémon, Raids, and more for Pokémon GO.

12th June 2023 Update: We've updated this guide to reflect that the Water Festival: Beach Week concludes on 12th June 2023 for Pokémon GO. The original article continues below.

Pokémon GO Water Festival Beach Week: Event Dates & Times

Oceans of fun await during Water Festival: Beach Week!

The Water Festival returns June 6 through June 12, 2023—with a sandy(gast) debut!

📝 https://t.co/dHGsF3wvRv#HiddenGemspic.twitter.com/pZhLBIk9C8

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) May 30, 2023

The sun is finally out, and everyone is flocking to the beach as the first event for the Season of Hidden Gems is arriving soon in Pokémon GO. The Water Festival: Beach Week event will start your summer on 6th June 2023 at 10 am local time until the sun finally sets on 12th June 2023 at 8 pm local time.

Trainers can enjoy plenty of summer-themed activities throughout this event, including new wild encounters, Raid battles, and a new Global Challenge. An event-themed Field Research will be available to claim and complete to earn rewards, including Mega Energy for Blastoise and Swampert.

This event will also have its own themed Spotlight Hour on 6th June 2023 between 6 pm and 7 pm local time. Trainers can gain a triple XP bonus after catching Pokémon for which Clauncher*, Corphish*, Crabrawler, Kabuto* & Krabby* will appear more frequently in the wild, and their Shiny forms (*) may also appear.

Pokémon GO Water Festival Beach Week: Featured Pokémon

The Season of Hidden Gems marks the debuts of several new Pokémon, for which two will arrive for this event. The Ghost/Ground-type Pokémon, Sandygast, and its evolution, Palossand, will debut after making a sneaky appearance in the season's teaser trailer.

Sandygast will be featured as a reward encounter from the event's Field Research and as a one-star Raid boss. Additionally, Trainers can evolve Sandygast to Palossand using 50 Sandygast Candy, for which you may stand a chance of encountering its Shiny form (*).

Pokémon GO Water Festival Beach Week: Wild Encounters

Several Water-type Pokémon will appear more frequently in wild encounters during this event to enjoy building sandcastles, not using Palossand, that is. Many of these wild Pokémon could have their Shiny forms (*) spawning with the likelihood of also spotting Mantine and Popplio.

Let's look at all the aquatic Pokémon that will spawn in the wild during the Water Festival: Beach Week event for Pokémon GO: 

• Alolan Exeggutor*
• Clauncher*
• Dwebble*
• Finneon*
• Frillish*
• Horsea*
• Krabby*
• Marill*
• Shellder*
• Spheal*
• Staryu*
• Tentacool*
• Wallimer*
• Wingull*

Pokémon GO Water Festival Beach Week: Raids

The event will also host a handful of Raid events that Trainers can attempt to defeat under the blazing sun. While these Raid bosses would like nothing more than to kick sand at your Pokémon, coming into this rock-solid encounter will require you to have the right counters.

Below we've listed all the Raid bosses appearing during the Water Festival: Beach Week event for Pokémon GO:

• One-star Raids: Alolan Diglett*, Carvanha*, Feebas*, Hisuian Qwilfish and Sandygast
• Three-star Raids: Alomomola*, Blastoise*, Gyarados* and Lapras wearing a scarf accessory*
• Five-star Raids: Uxie* (Asia-Pacific only), Mesprit* (Africa, Europe, India, and the Middle East), and Azelf* (Americas and Greenland only)
• Mega Raids: Mega Swampert*

Pokémon GO Water Festival Beach Week: Field & Timed Research Tasks

The Water Festival: Beach Week event will also include themed Field and Timed Research tasks for Trainers to claim and complete. While the Timed Research is available for the event's duration until 12th June 2023 at 8 pm local time, you can acquire the ticket for this research story for $5,00 or equivalent to your local currency.

The Field Research, however, is available to all for free as you can spin the Photo Disc at nearby PokéStops to collect a research task. Don't forget any progress made with the event's Field Research can contribute to the season's Research Breakthrough, so start spinning and start completing the research tasks.

Lastly, new Avatar items will be available to purchase from the in-game Shop from the event's start on 6th June 2023 at 10 am local time. Using PokéCoins, you can acquire the Diver Googles, Diver Outfit, and the Sandygast Hat.