Pokémon GO Raid Schedule - All Current and Upcoming Raid Bosses

Hero Zamazenta holds the 5-star raids in Pokémon GO until September 22, and Mega Venusaur runs the Mega Raids. Xurkitree, Buzzwole and Pheromosa take over on September 23, and Xerneas closes the rotation from September 30 to October 6. Let’s follow LDShop, as below you will find every raid boss with dates, weaknesses, perfect CP values and weather boosts. We also cover Shadow Raids, Raid Hours and the Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day on September 19.

Raid Schedule at a Glance (September 2026 to October 6)

Raid bosses rotate at 10:00 a.m. local time on the dates below. Raid Hour runs every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.

Shadow Thundurus (Incarnate Forme) appears in 5-star Shadow Raids on weekends from September 9 to October 6. The lineup after October 6 has not been revealed yet.

Current Pokémon GO Raid Bosses (September 16 to 22, 2026)

The 1-star and 3-star tiers carry event bosses this week. They come from the Pokémon Horizons celebration event, which also brings costumed spawns and event research. CP values show a perfect 15/15/15 catch, with the weather-boosted value in brackets.

A few things worth knowing before you spend passes this week:

• Zamazenta can be shiny. Its Hero form turns into Crowned Shield Zamazenta with 1,000 Crowned Shield Energy, as long as it knows Iron Head. That move then becomes its signature attack, Behemoth Bash.
• Pikachu wearing Cap's hat is the cheapest way to clear the event tasks "Win a Raid" and "Win 2 Raids." The second task rewards another costumed Pikachu.
• Charizard wearing Friede's goggles saves you a big Candy bill. Evolving the costumed Charmander yourself costs 125 Charmander Candy in total.

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5-Star Raid Schedule: Upcoming Ultra Beasts and Xerneas

All three Ultra Beasts can be shiny, but each one only spawns in its own region. Remote invites from overseas friends are the only way to raid the other two from home. Add a few friends from other regions before September 23 so your invites arrive on time.

Buzzwole and Pheromosa share the same typing, so one Flying team handles both. Pheromosa has very low Defense, and strong Flying attackers can defeat it with a small group. Xurkitree is the tankier fight and deserves a full lobby of Ground attackers.

Mega Raid Schedule for September 2026

You always catch the regular form after a Mega Raid, which is why the CP values above look low. Mega Malamar and Mega Victreebel first arrived as Super Mega Raid bosses, which needed at least eight trainers. Check the raid egg at the Gym before you gather a group, so you know which version you face.

Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day (September 19, 2026)

Mega Staraptor makes its Pokémon GO debut in Super Mega Raids on Saturday, September 19, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Here is what the free event offers:

• Up to six free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs.
• Remote Raid limit raised to 20, from Friday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. PDT to Saturday, September 19 at 8:00 p.m. PDT.
• Increased chance of Shiny Staraptor from Super Mega Raids.
• Every Staraptor you catch from these raids comes with Mega Level 1 unlocked.
• Free Timed Research rewards a Premium Battle Pass and a Gardevoir encounter.

A US$4.99 ticket raises the Gym spin limit to 14 Raid Passes. It also adds a better chance at Rare Candy XL, plus 5,000 extra XP and 5,000 extra Stardust per Super Mega Raid. Once your free passes run out, Premium and Remote Raid Passes from the shop cost PokéCoins. A quick Pokemon GO top up before Saturday keeps your coin balance ready for the full three hours. You can also use LDShop to save on your purchase.

Super Mega Raids only appear at certain Gyms, so scout your map before 2:00 p.m. Bring a Mega Pokémon in your team, because only Megas can break the boss shields. Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre cannot break them. The real prize is the Super Max Mega Level, which unlocks the extra Charged Attack Brave Bird+ for Mega Staraptor.

Pokémon GO Shadow Raid Schedule (September 9 to October 6)

The 1-star and 3-star Shadow bosses appear daily at Rocket-controlled Gyms. Shadow Thundurus shows up in 5-star Shadow Raids on weekends only. Shadow catches have a 6/6/6 IV floor, so the minimum CP sits lower than in regular raids.

Remote Raid Passes do not work in Shadow Raids, so you must battle in person. The boss becomes enraged mid-fight, and Purified Gems calm it down. You craft one Gem from four Shadow Shards. Bring one extra trainer for Shadow Thundurus, because the enrage phase is where most groups fail.

Raid Hour Schedule for the Rest of September

During Raid Hour, nearly every Gym that can host a raid spawns the current 5-star boss. If more than one boss is in rotation, all of them appear together.

Tips to Get More From This Raid Schedule

• Raid in person on Wednesdays. The current season gives one Rare Candy XL for each in-person raid you complete on Wednesdays. Raid Hour stacks nicely with that bonus.
• Hold your passes for Saturday. Six free passes on Staraptor Raid Day beat the usual one pass per day.
• Power up counters before September 23. Flying, Ground and Poison attackers cover every 5-star boss left this month. Our 2026 tier list helps you pick which ones deserve your Stardust.
• Claim event GO Pass rewards early. The paid track includes Premium Raid Passes at ranks 6, 17 and 25. Unclaimed rewards expire on September 24 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
• Wait for weather boosts on bosses you plan to keep. Boosted catches come at Level 25 instead of Level 20.

Conclusion

The Pokémon GO raid schedule stays busy until October 6. Zamazenta and Mega Venusaur stay until September 22, then the regional Ultra Beasts and Mega Malamar arrive. Xerneas and Mega Victreebel close the run, while Shadow Thundurus holds the weekends. Mark September 19 for the Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day and save your passes for it. All times use your local clock unless a PDT time is stated.

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