The Pokémon Company has confirmed that the Pokémon World Championships 2027 will take place in Singapore, bringing the franchise’s biggest competitive event back to Asia for the first time since Yokohama hosted Worlds in 2023.
The announcement came during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco. Next year’s event will run from August 13 to August 15 at Singapore EXPO, where the best qualifying Pokémon players from around the world will compete for championship titles.
Singapore EXPO will host Pokémon Worlds 2027
Singapore EXPO has been selected as the venue for the three-day championship weekend.
The location represents another major international destination for the Pokémon competitive circuit and marks the first time Singapore will host the World Championships.
- Pokémon Worlds 2027 takes place August 13-15
- Singapore EXPO will host the tournament
- It will be the first Pokémon Worlds held in Singapore
- Asia last hosted Worlds in Yokohama, Japan, in 2023
The announcement was accompanied by the first promotional material for the event. Solgaleo, Celebi and Lapras were among the Pokémon featured in the initial imagery, suggesting they will play a major role in the visual identity, merchandise and branding surrounding Singapore Worlds.
The move to Singapore continues The Pokémon Company’s recent strategy of turning Worlds into a major international fan event rather than simply a competitive tournament.
PokémonXP will not return in Singapore
One major difference has already been confirmed.
PokémonXP, the expanded fan experience introduced alongside the 2026 World Championships in San Francisco, will not be part of the Singapore event.
PokémonXP added attractions and activities around the main tournament and contributed to making the 2026 edition significantly larger than previous Worlds weekends.
The Pokémon Company has not yet announced whether any alternative fan-focused experience will replace it in Singapore.
| Pokémon Worlds 2027 detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Host city | Singapore |
| Venue | Singapore EXPO |
| Dates | August 13-15, 2027 |
| Previous Asian host | Yokohama, Japan – 2023 |
| PokémonXP | Not returning in 2027 |
Removing PokémonXP does not necessarily mean Worlds itself will become smaller. Singapore EXPO is designed for large-scale conventions and international events, giving The Pokémon Company considerable flexibility around tournament stages, spectator areas and retail experiences.
San Francisco set a new benchmark in 2026
Singapore will follow what The Pokémon Company described as its largest World Championships to date.
Around 50,000 people attended the 2026 event at the Moscone Center in San Francisco across the weekend. The event combined the traditional competitive program with the Pokémon Center store and the newly introduced PokémonXP experience.
Championship Sunday was moved to Chase Center, the NBA arena used by the Golden State Warriors.
The venue sold out for the finals, creating the largest arena environment ever used for a Pokémon competitive event.
- Approximately 50,000 people attended Worlds 2026
- Moscone Center hosted the main weekend
- Chase Center hosted Championship Sunday
- The arena was sold out for the finals
Those numbers create high expectations for Singapore, even without PokémonXP.
The World Championships have gradually developed into one of the franchise’s largest annual gatherings, combining competition, announcements, merchandise and community events in a single weekend.
Competitive Pokémon enters a new era
Worlds 2027 will also take place during a period of significant change for competitive Pokémon.
Pokémon Champions has become the main platform for Video Game Championships competition, replacing the previous reliance on the latest mainline Pokémon titles for official VGC tournaments.
The 2026 World Championships marked the first Worlds appearance for Pokémon Champions, meaning players will have considerably more experience with its competitive environment before Singapore.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon GO are also expected to remain central disciplines in the Championship Series.
Pokémon UNITE presents a different situation. The 2026 event was announced as its final appearance at the Pokémon World Championships, meaning the competitive lineup in Singapore is expected to differ from the format fans have become familiar with in recent years.
Further details about disciplines, qualification requirements and prize structures will be announced as the 2027 Championship Series develops.
Qualification begins long before Singapore
For competitors, reaching Singapore will require results throughout the 2027 Championship Series.
Players earn Championship Points through Regional Championships, Special Championships and other eligible events, with invitations to Worlds determined through the official Play! Pokémon qualification structure.
That means the road to Singapore effectively begins months before the actual tournament.
The Pokémon Company has already begun publishing information about the 2027 competitive season, including its wider Championship Series calendar and qualification programs.
Assessment
Singapore is a significant choice for Pokémon Worlds.
Returning the championship to Asia gives The Pokémon Company access to one of Pokémon’s most important regions while also placing the event in a city with extensive infrastructure for international tournaments and conventions.
The biggest unknown is how the event will compare with San Francisco.
PokémonXP helped turn Worlds 2026 into a much broader fan festival, and its absence means Singapore will likely follow a different format. That could place greater emphasis on the competitions themselves, the Pokémon Center and whatever additional activities are eventually announced.
What is already clear is that Pokémon Worlds continues to grow beyond its origins as a traditional competitive championship.
After record attendance in San Francisco, Singapore will inherit high expectations when the world’s best Pokémon players and thousands of fans arrive at Singapore EXPO from August 13 to August 15, 2027.
