Pokemon GO PokeStop Showcase schedule & how to win rewards

PokeStop Showcases are a great way to highlight your best catches in Pokemon GO and earn some rewards along the way, so here’s the December schedule to keep you up to date.

If you’re not a fan of battling in the Pokemon GO Battle League but you still want a chance to show off your top Pokemon and compete against other Trainers, then PokeStop Showcases might be your next best option.

These limited-time competitions appear at a small number of PokeStops around the world, with each one featuring specific criteria. This will usually be something like entering the biggest Squirtle or the smallest Pikachu.

Whether you’re wondering what the upcoming PokeStop Showcase schedule is or you want some advice on how to snatch that number one spot in the mobile game, we’ve got you covered.

Pokemon GO PokeStop Showcase schedule for December 2023

Here are all of the confirmed PokeStop Showcases and the featured Pokemon you’ll be able to enter:

Unlike previous months, Niantic hasn't confirmed every PokeStop Showcase taking place this month, so these are the only ones we know about so far. We'll update this page as soon as more Showcases are revealed.

The PokeStop Showcases on December 16 and December 17 are quite unusual, as they can feature any of the Pokemon that have headlined Community Days throughout 2023.

However, it's worth pointing out that some recent PokeStop Showcases haven't gone ahead as planned, with the intended headliner being replaced at the last minute with another Pokemon.

How to find PokeStop Showcases in Pokemon GO

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PokeStop Showcases appear during special in-game events, including Community Days. You can spot them by looking out for a regular PokeStop that has a small rotating blue disc above it. This will turn purple when you've already entered that Showcase.

Once you’ve found a PokeStop Showcase, simply tap on it to see the criteria for that specific competition. You can then view the current leaderboard or enter a Pokemon of your own if you want to compete.

PokeStop Showcases will remain in the same locations throughout each season, so once you’ve found one nearby you can simply return there every time a new Showcase goes live.

Tips to help you win PokeStop Showcases

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In order to win a PokeStop Showcase, you’ll need to enter a Pokemon that has a higher rank than every other Trainer who’s entered. This might seem simple on the surface, but you can sometimes be up against hundreds of other Trainers, which makes winning very difficult!

When you enter a Pokemon into a PokeStop Showcase, you’ll be given a ranking and you can see how your Pokemon compares to other entries on the leaderboard. Each Pokemon will have a ‘points’ number indicating how well they meet the criteria of the Showcase.

Even if you rank number one on the PokeStop Showcase with your entry, another Trainer could always come along and one-up you before the competition ends, so it’s important to keep an eye on the leaderboard - especially in those final moments.

The good news is that you can switch out your entry at any time before the PokeStop Showcase ends. You don’t even need to be near the PokeStop - simply go to the Today View, scroll down to see your current Showcases, and then tap on the one you want to change.

PokeStop Showcases are always themed after the event they’re running alongside, which means you should be able to catch or evolve the Pokemon featured in them. It’s a good idea to go on the hunt to catch as many as you can and then sort through them to find the best ones.

In my experience, the easiest way to win a PokeStop Showcase is to find one in a quiet area where there aren’t many other Pokemon GO players. It might take some time to figure this out, but once you’ve found a good one you can return here for every future Showcase.

Every time I’ve entered a PokeStop Showcase in a busy city centre, for example, I’ve been well outranked despite having an XXL version of the featured Pokemon. It’s incredibly hard to win these busy Showcases, but I have managed to win a few in a more rural area.

What rewards can you get from PokeStop Showcases?

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Every Trainer who enters a PokeStop Showcase will be rewarded with a small amount of XP and Stardust regardless of where they place in the final rankings, so it’s always worth entering - even if you end up placing 135th!

The best prizes are reserved for the top three Trainers, with items like Incubators and Star Pieces on offer. Finally, the number one Trainer in each PokeStop Showcase will receive a Medal to mark their achievement.

I’ve only managed to win first place at a PokeStop Showcase a few times so far, and on the most recent occasion, I was rewarded with 1 Charged TM, 2 Fast TMs, 3000 XP, 1000 Stardust, and a Medal. As you can see, it’s a pretty decent haul of items.

That’s everything you need to know about the PokeStop Showcase schedule and the rewards you can earn! Keep on top of upcoming events by checking out our Spotlight Hour schedule and our Raid Boss schedule.