Pokemon Day Lighting Announced for the Empire State Building

Pokemon Day is set to take place later this month, and in celebration, The Pokemon Company has announced a special lighting of the Empire State Building in New York City. On Pokemon Day (which is February 27th), the tower lights will be colored blue and yellow from sunset to 2 a.m. ET. Fans that won't be able to see it in person will be able to follow the festivities on the Empire State Building's various social channels, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. In a press release, The Pokemon Company revealed that the event is not only meant to celebrate Pokemon Day, but also the U.S. debut of Pokemon Horizons: The Series. 

"As the first new mainline Pokemon animated series released in over 25 years, Pokemon Horizons: The Series will ring in a new era for Pokemon, with unique characters and stories that will expand and evolve the franchise," said Taito Okiura, vice president of marketing at TPCi. "As we quickly approach the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of the series, we invite Trainers to help us commemorate this major milestone on Pokemon Day with a special lighting at the iconic Empire State Building."

While Ash and his Pikachu won't be in the spotlight in the new series, Pokemon's iconic mascot will still appear in some capacity. Captain Pikachu is one of the show's main characters, and he'll be appearing at the Empire State Building during the Pokemon Day festivities. 

Pokemon Go Celebration

Pokemon Go will be getting in on the Empire State Building lighting ceremony with exclusive Timed Research tasks. Players that visit the location on February 27th will be able to get some in-game rewards, including things like Incense, Lure Modules and an encounter with a Pikachu wearing a party hat. At this time, it's unclear if this will be one of the designs that has been previously offered in the game, or a new one. Other PokeStops surrounding the Empire State Building will also match the theme, and players that use Lure Modules on them will have a better chance of attracting Unown. 

What is Pokemon Day?

February 27th, 1996 was the day Pokemon Red and Green first released on the original Game Boy in Japan. That marked the official start of the franchise, and The Pokemon Company celebrates Pokemon Day as part of a yearly event. At this time, the lighting of the Empire State Building is the only announced event for Pokemon Day 2024, but we should expect to hear more over the next two weeks. Typically, The Pokemon Company releases a Pokemon Presents livestream on Pokemon Day, or in the days leading up to it. This is where The Pokemon Company typically makes new game announcements, while also providing updates on existing titles like Pokemon Unite, Pokemon Go, and Pokemon Masters EX. 

At this time, The Pokemon Company has no announced games set to release in 2024, so we could see some exciting announcements later this month!  

Are you looking forward to Pokemon Day 2024? What are you hoping to see announced? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!