Los Angeles Pokemon Regional Championships Open Today at LA Convention Center
Thousands of players land in downtown LA today through Sunday for one of the biggest Play! Pokemon events of the season. Spectator badges are $20, and side events run all weekend across TCG, VGC, and Pokemon GO.
One of the largest Pokemon competitive events on the West Coast kicks off today, with the 2026 Los Angeles Pokemon Regional Championships taking over Hall A of the Los Angeles Convention Center from Friday, May 8 through Sunday, May 10. Thousands of players are in town to compete across the Pokemon Trading Card Game, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and Pokemon GO, with Championship Points and a slot at the 2026 World Championships in San Francisco on the line.
Why this Regional matters
LA Regionals lands in the back stretch of the 2025-26 Play! Pokemon season, which means it is one of the last big chances for North American players to lock in their CP totals before Worlds invites are calculated. Expect the TCG side to be dominated by decks that have settled in after the latest Standard rotation, while the VGC field continues to feel out the post-DLC metagame in Scarlet and Violet.
Who can attend
Spectator badges are $20 at the door and grant access to the show floor for the full weekend. Anyone holding a competitor or spectator badge can also jump into smaller side events that run throughout the weekend. Side events have historically included League Cups, special promotional tournaments, and casual play queues, so even casual fans get something to do between top-cut rounds.
What to look for on the show floor
- Vendor row — Major vendors typically set up at Regionals to buy and sell singles in volume. If you have been holding modern chase cards, this is a real-world price discovery weekend.
- Promo cards — Play! Pokemon Regional events almost always include attendee promos and competitor packs, which become long-term collector targets the moment the event ends.
- Pulsing Aura energy — The newest physical and digital Pokemon TCG release is fresh in everyone's mind, so expect Mega Lucario ex and Mega Sceptile ex pulls to be the talk of the booths.
How to follow along from home
If you cannot make it to the LA Convention Center, the official Play! Pokemon stream and the spectator pages on RK9 will track standings, top-cut brackets, and notable matches all weekend. The TCG, VGC, and GO formats all run on parallel schedules, with finals on Sunday afternoon.
For West Coast collectors, this is the biggest in-person Pokemon weekend until Worlds in August. If you have ever wanted to see top-level Pokemon play in person, the door price is cheap.
The Card Shop Finder will be tracking standings and notable card sales coming out of the show. Check our events page for the full LA schedule and other shows happening this weekend.