Pokémon-inspired skateboards, jazz bands, burlesque dancers — San Francisco was catching ’em all.
Aug 31, 2026
Hours before last Thursday’s San Francisco Giants game at Oracle Park, eager fans lingered near the gates. They weren’t waiting to see the game, or to catch fly balls. Instead, they came to catch Pikachu at Pokémon Worlds Night — a Giants celebration of Pokémon fandom with a Pikachu-Giants jersey giveaway and a dazzling post-game drone show.
The night included a stadium-sized sing-along of the Pokémon theme song, and Giants players huddling in the dugout to rip open packs of Pokémon trading cards and compare custom airbrushed Charizard cleats.
These festivities helped kick off San Francisco’s citywide embrace of the Japanese anime juggernaut, which took over the town Friday through Sunday for the Pokémon World Championships and PokémonXP hosted at Moscone Center.
The event — an annual rotating spectacle featuring the globe’s largest Pokémon gaming tournament, a fan convention, and experiential activations galore — attracted over 50,000 badged attendees and nearly 3,000 competitors from across 54 countries.
Since its founding in 2004, the event has been held in the Bay Area just twice. According to convention organizers, this year’s San Francisco edition was the best and biggest to date.
The fans certainly agreed. And for those visiting the region with their quirky fandom, they felt right at home.
“The Bay Area seems very whimsical and accepting of other people and lifestyles. I want to live here,” said Fableddarling, a cosplayer who traveled from North Carolina to the Bay Area for the first time for the event. Fableddarling wore an elaborate homemade outfit of Alcremie, a fairy-type Pokémon character made of whipped cream and strawberries.
Others weren’t sure what to expect from San Francisco, having been fed a doom-loop narrative about the city before arriving. One Hawaiian couple, Taka and Kat — dressed as Team Star villains from Pokémon Violet and Scarlet — had mixed expectations of the city.
“We had family members saying things like ‘Don’t die’ when we told them we were going to San Francisco,” Kat said. That myth was quickly dispelled for the couple after riding in a self-driving vehicle for the first time and gorging on regional staples like clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.
Naturally, a few criticisms arose. Complaints about long lines and a safety issue with the San Francisco Fire Marshal underscored frustrations over event logistics. One eventgoer, Vicked San Francisco” as the host city because of the city’s inconveniences with parking and crime
But the vast majority of Pokémon fans seemed happy with the city, and the many ways it pitched in the weekend celebration.
On site, musicians like Trevor Strohl of Character Select, a local jazz band that riffs off video game soundtracks, wandered around Moscone Center’s main plaza while belting out saxophone solos of Pokémon tunes upon request. Off site, small local businesses like Joe’s Ice Cream went viral for turning their scoops of ice cream into Pokémon characters for the weekend. Dumpling Time’s San Francisco locations added Poke-Bao (egg yolk) and Pika-Bao (barbecue pork) to their weekend menus, taking the form of Pokéballs and Pikachus.
Longtime San Francisco resident Eddie Castro wore his special-edition Levi’s jean jacket with a Pikachu emblazoned upon the back; after collecting his World Championship pins, he planned to attend a social hour with Pokémon-inspired cocktails and card battles at Lookout in the Castro.
For the bravest enthusiasts, Golf Leaf Ink hosted a “Gotta Tat ’Em All” Pokémon flash tattoo party for those wanting to permanently catch their favorite fictional creatures. (Did this writer briefly consider inking a Machamp? Maybe.)
Even the niche intersection of California skateboarding culture and Pokémon fandom was evident. Santa Cruz Skateboards installed a half pipe in front of Moscone Center, and brought their team of professional skaters to ride special edition Pokémon decks in celebration of their 30th Anniversary Pokémon collaboration. Additionally, a limited-edition Bear Walker-designed Pikachu cruiser board was among the most highly coveted items of the event — costing $350 and available only after being selected through a rigorous lottery process.
“I already got offered $1,000 in cash for this, but I’m a skater; I’m not here to scalp or make money [from reselling],” said Zach Brookins, a former Bay Area resident who drove up from his hometown in San Diego for a chance to acquire the skateboard. “I’m going to ride this board into the ground. I’m going to put my dirty feet all over Pikachu this weekend.”
For the adults-only crowd, visiting burlesque dancers Jessica Nova and Bon Bon were dressed for the occasion as they strolled the grounds in their risqué garb. For them, San Francisco remains a nexus for the strange, unexpected fandoms within nerd culture (think drag shows that feature dragon-type Pokémon like “Drag-onite”).
Of course, the Pokémon takeover wasn’t just for nostalgic, endorphin-seeking adults. The entirety of Yerba Buena Gardens was transformed into a Pokémon-ized outdoor clearing with activities, giveaways and a kids area for infants and toddlers dressed as miniature Evees, Tertwigs and Mimikyus while a massive inflated Pikachu overlooked.
Perhaps the most endearing element of the weekend was the intergenerational aspect of Pokémon fandom.
Alvaro Perez, along with his wife Karina (who was costumed as Umbreon), flew in from Mexico City to cheer on their adolescent son, Hernan, who competed among the world’s best “trainers.” Ricky, a Bernal Heights local who dressed up as Ash Ketchum, brought his teenage son for the experience; as lowrider aficionados, they particularly appreciated the bright yellow, Pikachu-styled 1950s Cadillac convertible on display.
For families like these, the convention offered an opportunity to pass down a lifelong fandom to future gamers and fans. Though corporate brands like Build-A-Bear, Crocs and Nintendo were visibly promoting new products, it didn’t overtake the sincerity of a nerdy, lovable experience in an inviting, eccentric atmosphere.
As the 8-Bit Big Band orchestra blasted out theme song tributes for each major Pokémon installment from the past 30 years, images of Pokémon exploring San Francisco’s attractions could be seen — a Rayquaza-themed cable car on Howard Street, a remixed Fisherman’s Wharf sign with Krabby as the logo.
In that sense, there may not be another city in the world with as perfect a backdrop for catching Pokémon as right here in the Bay.
“San Francisco felt like a natural fit given its status as one of the best cities in the world,” Nick Salazar of the Pokémon Company International told KQED. “We were here 10 years ago, so returning to San Francisco, and bringing an even larger event to the city, feels particularly special.”
