Pokémon GO takes over Sefton Park this weekend

The UK’s biggest ever Pokémon GO event will take place in Liverpool this weekend.

Pokémon GO Safari Zone will see thousands of players travel from across the UK to Sefton Park, all on the lookout for some specially released augmented Pokémon who will be hiding in the Grade 1 listed green space.

The globally-successful experience enables players to connect and explore together and also offers up some unique Pokémon experiences.

The sold-out event was originally due to take place in 2020 but was delayed because of the pandemic.

As this is an augmented reality activity, the park remains accessible for everyone across the weekend

All those attending the event are being advised to maintain social distancing and respect their fellow players and other park users.

The event will run from 12pm to 6pm on Friday and then 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Niantic Inc. is the team behind Pokémon GO, and has worked with Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team to deliver the event.

For more information, head to https://pokemongolive.com/events/safarizone/liverpool/

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy , Councillor Harry Doyle, said:

“Pokémon GO is one of the most well-known and well played games on the planet. For the team to have chosen Liverpool as the home for their biggest ever UK event is yet another sign that no one does major events as well as we do.

“Anyone who has visited the park in the last week will have seen the activity taking place to get ready to welcome the players and I hope everyone who attends the event has a great time.”

Philip Marz, Lead of Pokémon GO Marketing in EMEA, Niantic, said:

“We are so excited to be bringing a Safari Zone event to Liverpool. Sefton Park is a beautiful location for our players to explore.  “It has been a real team effort to bring this event to life and we want to thank everyone who has been involved in creating what we know will be a brilliant event. We are looking forward to seeing many Trainers at Sefton Park to enjoy Pokémon GO together.”

What is Pokémon GO?

Pokémon GO is a global phenomenon which has been downloaded more than one billion times.

It’s an augmented reality mobile game, where players use a mobile device GPS to locate, capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, which appear as if they are in the player’s real-world location.

The Pokémon GO Safari Zone combines the fun of the game, with real world interactivity via physical installations and allows trainers to meet through event-exclusive activities. The event has been hosted across the world since 2017 in locations such as the USA, France, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Japan and Taiwan.

Liverpool Waterfront