How to get Special Backgrounds in Pokémon Go

Ahead of Pokémon Go Fest Global on July 13 to 14, 2024, Niantic is adding Special Backgrounds to Pokémon set to appear during the festivities.

Not to be confused with Location Cards, which are images of cities around the world for Pokémon caught during special in-person events, like Go Fest Madrid, Special Backgrounds are instead something that’ll appear for everyone no matter where you are.

How do Special Backgrounds work in Pokémon Go?

After catching certain Pokémon in Pokémon Go during events, usually legendary or mythical Pokémon, there’s a random chance of a background image appearing behind the Pokémon on its summary page.

The first chance trainers have to get these special backgrounds is during the Ultra Space event from July 8 to 13. All Ultra Beasts in raids during this time have a chance to have a background image behind them. The next opportunity is from July 13 to 14 during Go Fest Global 2024, with Necrozma being the primary target.

What these images look like won’t be known until the event goes live. But it’ll still be random, outside of the Solgaleo and Lunala on Go Fest Global, which are guaranteed to have a Special Background, so long as you own the paid ticket.

There is no guarantee that a Pokémon you catch has a Special Background, though, so you could fight through dozens of raids until you finally get one. The chances are slim, but keep your chin up; maybe you can get your own.