I Went to SF Giants Pokémon Worlds Night and It Was Magic
Need a little more Pokémon in your life?
That’s what more than 50,000 fans are in search of this weekend as they head to San Francisco where Pokémon Worlds 2026 is being held.
While the main action and competition will be held in the halls of Moscone and Chase Centers, Thursday night gave a little taste of what’s to come at Oracle Park where the SF Giants faced off against the Diamondbacks for a fierce fight accented by Pokémon fun.
Pokémon Worlds Night starts with an early morning jersey run
While the first pitch wouldn’t be thrown until after 6pm (by 2025’s Pokémon VGC World Champion no less), the Pokémon Worlds Night started earlier for many – much earlier. Posts in the early hours of the day showed fans lining up around the block to lock in the coveted Pikachu Giants collaboration jersey.
The going rate for this jersey (only released today) is roughly $200, making it a solid upsell for those who managed to grab one for just $50 among the cheaper tickets.
I know when I purchased my Special Event tickets that included the Pikachu jersey, the entire row was sold out. However, at the actual game, we were the only ones in our entire row minus two other guys who came late and left early. So clearly many were purchasing tickets simply for the jerseys and not for the experience.
That being said, our own Pikachu/Giants jersey pickup was actually quite straightforward. We got to the venue a few hours before game time and hardly had to wait in line before going to the nice people with the ticket scanners to claim our prize.
The short line to get our jersey after the morning rush
The Pikachu jerseys weren’t the only goodie handed out at Worlds Night
Given what I had seen online, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to get my jersey, let alone additional free goodies. But upon entering the ballpark, we were graciously handed a free copy of the Pikachu Worlds 2026 promo.
Pikachu Worlds 2026 promo handed out at SF Pokémon Worlds Night
Shortly after entering the park, we ran into a familiar face: Snorlax was taking photos with fans – although the line to greet it was massive.
Later, Gengar would swap out with Snorlax, giving the big guy a break to lie in the middle of some road somewhere and nap. But the quality of these Pokémon characters was pretty impressive, making for a fun addition to the scenery even if you (like me) weren’t quite willing to wait through a massive line to take a picture.
Pokémon totally took over Oracle Park for Worlds Night
Pokémon theming extended well beyond the entry gifts and the fun photo opportunities: they were present throughout the night. Not only did the big screen show the famous “Who’s That Pokémon?” quiz game at intervals, the entire experience was filled with memorable Pokémon music from the early games, the original Pokémon theme, cosplayers impersonating Team Rocket, and an incredible drone show after the game was done.
The drone light show included an incredible collection of fan favorite Pokémon like Greninja, Charizard, Umbreon and more, all set to some very uplifting tunes all about not giving up and persevering.
Ultimately, the SF Giants Pokémon Worlds Night was a huge success. Whether you were attempting to pick up your merch, enjoying the game (that the Giants handily won), or just looking for an excuse to let loose and enjoy some incredible Pokémon magic, Worlds Night delivered. It’s the closest thing to a Pokémon Disneyland that I’ve ever experienced. For those attending Worlds, it’s likely only just the beginning of the fun.
