Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour: Next Spotlight Hour Pokémon and bonus explained

Everything you need to know about Spotlight Hour in Pokémon Go.

Guide by Lottie Lynn Guides Editor

Updated on 26 Apr 2023

The Spotlight Hour in Pokémon Go is a weekly event that will highlight one, special, surprise Pokémon and a special bonus effect.

Originally this bonus took place during the Mystery Bonus Hour, but this mini-event was merged with Spotlight hour at the beginning of April 2020.

For one hour, the chosen Pokemon will appear more frequently in the wild, allowing you to catch as many as you can. This could help you fill in a missing entry in the Pokédex or find a strong Pokémon for raiding.

Meanwhile the bonus will provide you with important assistance on your Pokémon journey. This could be anything from double transfer candy, allowing you to evolve Pokémon faster, or double catch stardust.

Like with the established Community Day event, Spotlight Hour is designed to get players out playing Pokémon Go as part of a community.

On this page:

Pokemon Go's next Spotlight Hour: Time, featured Pokémon and bonuses explained
How to prepare for a Spotlight Hour in Pokémon Go
Previous Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour Pokémon
Previous Pokémon Go Mystery Bonus Hours

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Battling and catching the latest Ultra Beast, Guzzlord, in Pokémon Go.

Pokemon Go's next Spotlight Hour: Time, featured Pokémon and bonuses explained

Here's everything you need to know about the next Spotlight Hour events:

Spotlight Hour date	Spotlight Hour time	Spotlight Pokémon	Spotlight Bonus
Tuesday, 2nd May	6pm - 7pm local time	Alolan Geodude	Double catch XP
Tuesday, 9th May	6pm - 7pm local time	Ponyta	Double transfer candy
Tuesday, 16th May	6pm - 7pm local time	Bellsprout	Double transfer candy
Tuesday, 23rd May	6pm - 7pm local time	Skorupi	Double evolution XP
Tuesday, 30th May	6pm - 7pm local time	Houndour	Double catch stardust

How to prepare for a Spotlight Hour in Pokémon Go

If you're planning on taking part in a Spotlight Hour, then there's a couple of ways you can prepare for the event.

The first is to ensure that you have enough Poké Balls and berries. You only have an hour to catch as many of the chosen Pokémon as possible - you don't want to waste it spinning PokéStops.

The second is to ensure that you have space left in your Pokémon Storage Box. Just like with items, you don't want to waste some of the Spotlight Hour transferring unwanted Pokémon, unless the current bonus is double transfer candy.

Thirdly, it's worth checking to see if you have any spare lures. Using a lure will increase the amount of Pokémon you encounter in the wild for half an hour, so, if you use one during the Spotlight Hour, it should also help you encounter more of the mystery Pokémon.

Finally, since Mystery Bonus Hour has now been merged with this event it's a good idea, depending on the bonus, to use a spare Lucky Egg or Star Piece during this hour.

This will further increase the XP or Stardust bonus you receive, which is a great advantage if you're trying to climb the level ranks of Pokémon Go quickly, or to build out your team for the Go Battle League.

Used wisely and with the right Spotlight Bonus, it's an effective way to get XP fast in Pokémon Go.

The Season of Rising Heroes is here! Currently the A Valorous Hero event is running, bringing with it Mega Pinsir and the A Valorous Hero special research quest. The new Grass and Gratitude quest allows you to catch a mythical Shaymin! A new Team Go Rocket quest - From The Shadows - has been released, along with a shake up of the Giovanni and Team Go Rocket Leaders lineups. As you continue your Pokémon Go adventure, make sure to battle in the new Go Battle League season. Don't forget to take a look at the Remote Raid Passes changes or, if you purchased it, work on the Masterwork Research: Wish Granted quest. Elsewhere, be sure to use Daily Adventure Incense for the chance of encountering Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos and Galarian Moltres. This incense may also give you encounters with other rare Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Previous Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour Pokémon

So you have an idea of what to expect in the future, here's a list of all previous Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour Pokémon since the mini-events debut in February 2020:

February 4th - Onix
February 11th - Spoink
February 18th - Increased spawns for all Pokémon
February 25th - Spotlight Hour didn't occur
March 3rd - Increased spawns for all Pokémon
March 10th - Increased spawns for all Pokémon
March 17th - Increased spawns for all Pokémon
March 24th - Increased spawns for all Pokémon
March 31st - Increased spawns for all Pokémon
April 7th - Purrloin and double catch XP
April 14th - Magnemite and double catch candy
April 21st - Wobbuffet and double transfer candy
April 28th - Pidgey and double evolution XP
May 5th - Shellder and double catch stardust
May 12th - Sunkern and double catch XP
May 19th - Poochyena and double catch candy
May 26th - Bronzor and double transfer candy
June 2nd - No spotlight hour
June 9th - Patrat and double evolution XP
June 16th - Numel and double stardust
June 23rd - Clefairy and double catch XP
June 30th - Kricketot and double catch candy
July 7th - Taillow and double transfer candy
July 14th - Zubat and double evolution XP
July 21st - Oddish and double catch stardust
July 28th - Buizel and double catch XP
August 4th - Horsea and double catch candy
August 11th - Sableye and double transfer candy
August 18th - Venipede and double evolution XP
August 25th - Geodude and double catch stardust
September 1st - Horsea and double catch XP
September 8th - Houndour and double catch candy
September 15th - Tentacool and double transfer candy
September 22nd - Spearow and double evolution XP
September 29th - Skitty and double catch stardust
October 6th - World Cap Pikachu and double catch XP
October 13th - Original Cap Pikachu and double catch candy
October 20th - Shuppet and double transfer candy
October 27th - Duskull and double evolution XP
November 3rd - Cubone and double catch Stardust
November 10th - Jigglypuff and double catch XP
November 17th - Meowth and double catch candy
November 24th - Barboach and double transfer candy
December 1st - Seel and double evolution XP
December 8th - Swinub and double catch stardust
December 15h - Explorer Pikachu and double catch candy
December 22nd - Snorunt and double transfer candy
December 29th - Snover and double evolution XP

Here are the Spotlight Hours which occurred during 2021:

January 5th - Lillipup and double catch stardust
January 12th - Drifloom and double catch XP
January 19th - Shroomish and double catch candy
January 26th - Phanpy and double transfer candy
February 2nd - Ekans and double evolution XP
February 9th - Miltank and double catch stardust
February 16th - Luvdisc and double catch XP
February 23rd - Pikachu and double catch candy
March 2nd - Krabby and double transfer candy
March 9th - Drowzee and double evolution XP
March 16th - Voltorb and double catch stardust
March 23rd - Surskit and double catch XP
March 30th - Slugma and double catch candy
April 6th - Buneary and double transfer candy
April 13th - Mankey and double evolution XP
April 20th - Grimer and double catch Stardust
April 27th - Finneon and double catch XP
May 4th - Cottonee and double catch candy
May 11th - Dratini and double transfer candy
May 18th - Alolan Rattata and double catch XP
May 25th - Marill and double catch Stardust
June 1st - Dwebble and double catch XP
June 8th - Abra and double catch candy
June 15th - Slowpoke and double transfer candy
June 22nd - Swinub and double evolution XP
June 29th - Aipom and double catch stardust
July 6th - Bulbasaur and double catch XP
July 13th - Charmander and double catch candy
July 20th - Squirtle and double transfer candy
July 27th - Natu and double evolution XP
August 3rd - Magnemite and double catch stardust
August 10th - East Sea Shellos and double catch XP
August 17th - West Sea Shellos and double catch candy
August 24th - Skwovet and double transfer candy
August 31st - Wooloo and double evolution XP
September 7th - Spoink and double catch stardust
September 14th - Baltoy and double catch XP
September 21st - Skitty and double catch candy
September 28th - Alolan Meowth and double transfer candy
October 5th - Drifloon and double evolution XP
October 12th - Gastly and double catch stardust
October 19th - Gothita and double catch XP
October 26th - Murkrow and double evolution XP
November 2nd - Cacnea and double catch candy
November 9th - Chinchou and double transfer candy
November 16th - Turtwig and double catch stardust
November 23rd - Chimchar and double catch XP
November 30th - Piplup and double catch candy
December 7th - Electabuzz and double transfer candy
December 14th - Magmar and double evolution XP
December 21st - Snover and double catch XP
December 28th - Cubchoo and double catch candy

Here are the Spotlight Hour which occurred in 2022:

January 4th - Solosis and double transfer candy
January 11th - Diglett and double catch stardust
January 18th - Plusle and double catch candy
January 25th - Minun and double transfer candy
February 1st - Litleo and double evolution XP
February 8th - Spritzee and double catch stardust
February 15th - Koffing and double catch XP
February 22nd - Voltorb and double catch candy
March 1st - Cubone and double transfer candy
March 8th - Exeggcute and double evolution XP
March 15th - Growlithe and double catch stardust
March 22nd - Sudowoodo and double catch XP
March 29th - Paras and double catch candy
April 5th - Stunky and double transfer candy
April 12th - Bunnelby and double evolution XP
April 19th - Oddish and double catch stardust
April 26th - Sunshine Form Cherrim and double catch XP
May 3rd - Wingull and double catch candy
May 10th - Numel and double transfer candy
May 17th - Magikarp and double evolution XP
May 24th - Seel and double catch stardust
May 31st - Pikipek and double catch stardust
June 7th - Nosepass and double catch candy
June 14th - Mantine and double transfer candy
June 21st - Spinarak and double evolution XP
June 28th - TCG Hat Pikachu and double catch stardust
July 5th - Ledyba and double catch XP
July 12th - Machop and double catch candy
July 19th - Staryu and double transfer candy
July 26th - Meditite and double evolution XP
August 2nd - Hisuian Voltorb and double catch stardust
August 9th - Nidoran (Female) and double catch XP
August 16th - Joltik and double catch candy
August 23rd - Nidoran (Male) and double transfer candy
August 30th - Pidove and double evolution XP
September 6th - Munna and double catch stardust
September 13th - Ralts and double catch XP
September 20th - Aron and double catch candy
September 27th - Minccino and double transfer candy
October 4th - Purrloin and double evolution XP
October 11th - Haunter and double catch stardust
October 18th - Misdreavus and double catch XP
October 25th - Shuppet and double evolution XP
November 1st - Cempasúchil Crown Duskull and double catch stardust
November 8th - Croagunk and double catch XP
November 15th - Porygon and double catch candy
November 22nd - Petilil and double transfer candy
November 29th - Hoothoot and double evolution XP
December 6th - Wooper and double catch stardust
December 13th - Spheal and double catch XP
December 20th - Bergmite and double catch candy
December 27th - Cubchoo and double transfer candy

Below you'll find the Spotlight Hours which occurred during 2023:

January 3rd - Alolan Sandshrew and double evolution XP
January 10th - Swirlix and double catch stardust
January 17th - Seedot and double catch XP
January 24th - Tynamo and double catch candy
January 31st - Blitzle and double transfer candy
February 7th - Pidgey and double evolution XP
February 14th - Woobat and double catch stardust
February 21st - Jigglypuff and double catch XP
February 28th - Slakoth and double catch candy
March 7th - Eevee and double transfer candy
March 14th - Rowlet and double evolution XP
March 21st - Litten and double catch stardust
March 28th - Popplio and double catch XP
April 4th - Exeggcute and double catch candy
April 11th - Shellder and double transfer candy
April 18th - Trapinch and double evolution XP
April 25th - Tangela and double catch stardust

Previous Pokémon Go Mystery Bonus Hours

Although Mystery Bonus hour has merged with Spotlight Hour, here's a list of all the bonuses that took place during this mini-event from its debut in February 2020. This will give you an idea of what bonuses to expect in the future: