The first official Pokémon GO Fest took place in Chicago. It was held at Grant Park on July 22, 2017, about one year after Pokémon GO launched.
Niantic designed the event as a real-world gathering where players could meet, play together, and contribute toward a worldwide in-game challenge. Tickets sold out quickly, but severe mobile-network problems made it difficult for many attendees to play normally during the event.
Despite the technical failure, the Chicago festival established the model for later Pokémon GO Fest events. Subsequent festivals returned to Chicago and expanded to other cities, while some editions included global online participation. The first event is therefore associated with both Pokémon GO’s live-event tradition and one of the game’s most widely discussed launch problems.