Summary
ESA and The Pokémon Company International are launching exhibitions and Pokémon GO activities across Europe for World Space Week 2026. A Pikachu plush previously spent 67 days aboard the International Space Station.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company International have announced a Europe-wide collaboration for World Space Week 2026, running from 4 to 10 October. The programme pairs an exhibition about European space activities with merchandise and Pokémon GO events at participating venues. A Pikachu plush also travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) during ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot’s mission, spending 67 days in orbit from 11 April to 17 June 2026 and completing approximately 1,040 orbits, according to ESA.
An exhibition about European space activities
The exhibition, co-created by ESA and Pokémon, is designed for families and combines scientific content with visual storytelling. Its panels will explain topics including how Europe launches missions, supports astronauts aboard the ISS, studies the Sun and explores the Solar System and wider Universe. Some panels feature Pokémon characters alongside the space topics.
The exhibition is scheduled to appear at ESA Open Days across six ESA establishments: ESA Headquarters in Paris on 19–20 September; ESRIN in Rome on 25 September; ESTEC in Noordwijk on 26–27 September; ESOC in Darmstadt on 2 October; ESAC near Madrid on 3 October; and ECSAT at Harwell in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2026.
ESA also lists seven partner venues: Cité de l’espace in Toulouse, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, Deutsches Museum in Nuremberg, Euro Space Center in Libin, Lucca Comics & Games in Lucca, the Science Museum in London and Space Expo in Noordwijk. The overall hosting period is early October 2026 to April 2027; ESA has not provided individual exhibition dates for each venue in the announcement.
Pokémon GO activities and merchandise
From 4 October 2026 to 30 April 2027, visitors to participating science and space museums in Europe are scheduled to encounter space-inspired Pokémon GO gameplay, including Astronaut Pikachu. Activities are set to include One-Star Raids featuring Astronaut Pikachu, Timed Research and special Pokémon encounters. Some Pokémon may have a Location Background commemorating the visit.
A shorter set of event-themed activities, including Field Research and increased wild Pokémon appearances, is planned for 4–10 October. ESA says this gameplay, except for Location Backgrounds, will also be available at ESA locations across Europe during that week. The announcement does not specify which partner museums will host the game activities.
The collaboration will also offer ESA x Pokémon apparel, accessories and collectibles through ESA and Pokémon retail channels and partner museum shops. The programme brings space themes into exhibitions and a location-based game; ESA says its aim is to encourage curiosity about space exploration among audiences of all ages.