You've probably seen the screenshots. Vibrant splashes of red, yellow, and blue paint smeared across the screen as trainers celebrate one of the more visually striking moments in the Niantic calendar. The Festival of Colours Pokemon GO event is fundamentally a tribute to the Indian festival of Holi. It’s a time when the game shifts away from the usual grind of "catch everything in sight" and leans heavily into a specific aesthetic.
But here’s the thing. Most people just play it like any other week. They see a few extra lures and some colorful spawns and think that’s all there is. Honestly? They’re missing the point.
Niantic usually times this event to coincide with the actual spring equinox or the Hindu lunar calendar. While the specific dates shift every year, the core mechanic remains the same: it is a celebration of diversity and vibrancy. It isn't just about catching a shiny Pikachu with a flower crown—though, let's be real, we all want that. It's about how the game uses specific mechanics like Lure Modules and Smeargle encounters to change the way you interact with your local community.
What Actually Happens During the Festival of Colours Pokemon GO Event?
If you’ve played for more than a season, you know how Niantic operates. They love a theme. During this particular window, the map basically turns into a neon rave.
One of the standout features is the behavior of Lure Modules. Traditionally, these stay active for three hours. That’s a long time to sit at a Starbucks or a local park. But it’s intentional. It forces a slower pace. Instead of the frantic "Fast Catch" method we all use during Community Days, the Festival of Colours encourages a sort of social gathering.
You’ll see a massive uptick in "colorful" Pokémon. We’re talking about creatures like Oricorio, Bruxish, and the ever-elusive Smeargle. In fact, Smeargle usually becomes the "photobomb" king during this period. You take a snapshot of your buddy, and bam—there’s the paint-smearing dog.
The Oricorio Factor
Oricorio is the real star here. Because it has four different forms—Baile, Pom-Pom, Pa'u, and Sensu—it’s a regional nightmare for completionists. Usually, you’re stuck with whatever style matches your geographic location. If you live in Europe, you get the red Baile Style. If you're in the Americas, you're looking at the yellow Pom-Pom Style.
During the Festival of Colours Pokemon GO festivities, Niantic often plays around with these boundaries or at least highlights the specific form in your area through Collection Challenges. It's a reminder that the world is big. And frustratingly, your Pokédex will probably have three grayed-out silhouettes for a long time unless you’re a frequent flyer.
Why the Lures Matter More Than You Think
Most players ignore Lures. They think Incense is better because it follows you.
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They're wrong. At least during this event.
When Lure Modules are boosted to three hours, the spawn pool shifts. You start seeing evolved forms more frequently. You see the "color" theme reflected in the rarity of the spawns. It transforms a boring park bench into a high-yield farming spot. Plus, if you’re trying to hit Level 50, the sheer volume of XP you can harvest from a triple-lured PokéStop cluster is massive.
The social aspect is real too. You see someone else’s Lure, you walk over, and suddenly you’re talking to a stranger about IV spreads and whether or not Mega Gardevoir is worth the stardust. It’s one of the few times the "GO" in Pokémon GO actually feels like a community effort rather than a solo trek through the neighborhood.
Managing Your Resources
Don't go blowing all your PokeCoins on Lures the first day. Wait for the box deals. Niantic is notorious for dropping "Event Boxes" that contain exactly what you need at a slight discount.
If you're a free-to-play trainer, save your gym coins specifically for this. The value of a 3-hour Lure is significantly higher than a standard Incubator during this specific window. You want to maximize the time you spend stationary, which sounds counterintuitive for a walking game, but that's the quirk of the Festival of Colours Pokemon GO meta.
The Smeargle Strategy
Smeargle is weird. He doesn't appear in the wild. He only appears when you use the GO Snapshot feature.
During the festival, you can usually get up to five Smeargle encounters per day. Normally, it’s just one. This is the best time to hunt for a Shiny Smeargle. The shiny rate isn't "Community Day" high, but it’s better than the standard 1-in-500 odds you face with wild spawns.
- Tip: Don't just take one photo and exit.
- Take a photo, check for the wiggle, and if he doesn't show, back out and try again.
- The "photobomb" happens on the first photo of a session.
Also, Smeargle copies the moveset of the Pokémon he’s photobombing. If you want a Smeargle with Lock-On and Flying Press (the most "illegal" moveset in the game), you need to take a photo of a Pokémon that already has those moves. It’s a fun mini-game within the game that most people ignore because they’re too busy hunting for a high-IV legendary in raids.
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Addressing the "Regional" Problem
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: regional exclusives.
Events like the Festival of Colours Pokemon GO often leave players feeling a bit left out if they don't live in a major city or a specific part of the world. For instance, players in India often get special bonuses during this event that the rest of the world doesn't see.
That’s okay.
The game isn't meant to be "finished" in a weekend. The frustration of missing a specific Oricorio form or a regional spawn is part of what makes the eventual trade with a friend who just came back from vacation so rewarding. It builds a secondary economy of trading that keeps the local Discord and Campfire groups alive.
How to Prepare Your Storage
You need space. Lots of it.
Before the event kicks off, do a "Spring Cleaning" of your Pokémon storage. If you’ve been holding onto 15 mediocre Squirtles from three months ago, delete them. You’re going to be catching a high volume of diverse types—Poison, Fire, Flying, Water—and the last thing you want is the "Storage Full" notification popping up when a Shiny appears.
Aim for at least 200 open slots.
Actionable Steps for the Event
To truly win the Festival of Colours Pokemon GO week, you need a plan that isn't just "walk around and hope for the best."
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First, focus on the Collection Challenge. These are usually easy, but they reward you with a Medal and often some rare candy or an encounter with a rare spawn like Alomomola or a specific Oricorio. Do this in the first 48 hours. It gets the "work" out of the way so you can focus on the fun stuff.
Second, use your Daily Adventure Incense while walking between Lured stops. The "color" spawns often bleed into the Daily Incense pool, increasing your chances of finding Galarian Birds—though the catch rate remains abysmal. It’s about layers. Layer your Lures, layer your Incense, and layer your Star Pieces.
Third, pay attention to the Field Research tasks. "Catch 10 different species of Pokémon" is a common task during this event. The reward is almost always a "colorful" encounter. These encounters have a higher floor for IVs (10/10/10), meaning this is your best shot at getting a Hundo (100% IV) version of event-themed Pokémon.
Lastly, don't forget the avatar items. Usually, there's a free t-shirt or some cheap poses in the shop. It sounds trivial, but in a game that’s 50% about showing off, looking the part matters.
The Festival of Colours isn't the most intense event in the game. It’s not as high-stakes as a GO Fest or a Tour. But it’s a vibe. It’s a chance to see the game world look a little more interesting and to interact with mechanics like Lures and Snapshots that usually sit gathering dust in our bags.
Grab some PokeBalls, find a park with at least three stops in range, and settle in. The colors are coming, and if you play it right, your storage will be full of shinies and high-IV monsters before the week is up.
Stop checking the IVs of every single catch while you're out. Just catch. Use the search string "age0" at the end of the day to filter through everything you caught that session. Tag what you want to keep and mass-transfer the rest. Efficiency is the difference between a stressed-out trainer and one who actually enjoys the festival. Give yourself the space to actually look up from your phone once in a while and see the real-world spring colors too. That's what the event is supposed to be about anyway.
Keep your eyes on the official Niantic blog or the in-game News tab as the event approaches. They often sneak in last-minute bonuses like 2x Evolution XP or extra Stardust for certain catches. If 2x Stardust is active, prioritize catching the evolved forms—they're worth more per catch and can drastically pad your bank for future power-ups. Check your local community's Campfire maps for "Golden" PokeStops too. Sometimes these events trigger higher rates of Gimmighoul coin drops, and you don't want to miss out on that grind while you're already out and about.
Set a goal. Maybe it's 500 candies for a specific species, or maybe it's just finding one shiny Oricorio. Whatever it is, focus on that and let the rest of the event be a bonus. The most successful trainers are the ones who don't try to do everything at once. They pick a lane and dominate it. Stay hydrated, keep a power bank handy, and make sure your buddy Pokémon is fed so it brings you those extra gifts. Happy hunting.