From GM Week to Gallente Day, there are loads of great EVE Online events to look forward to each year. To make sure you don’t miss out on New Eden’s biggest dates of the year, we asked our community of dedicated EVE players to explain the in-game and out-of-game events that every player should know about. Below, we’ve listed them all in an EVE Online event calendar, replete with typical dates, regularity, origins, activities, and tips. Be there or be square!  

Frigate Free for All (FF4A) 

Dates: March or April, annually

Our community member Rixx Javix, his corp Stay Frosty, and his alliance A Band Apart take point in organising FF4A. So who better to talk us through it?

“Every year in March or April, your friendly neighborhood pirates in Stay Frosty and A Band Apart host our annual Frigate Free For All (FF4A) event for everyone in New Eden. This event has been running for over a decade and has become the largest player-run event in all of EVE Online, constantly breaking records for total PvP kills and much, much more.

“More importantly, however, the FF4A event gives everyone a chance to experience the thrill of frigate combat with no risk. We hand out between 10,000 to 20,000 free frigates during the six-hour event to anyone who docks in one of the stations in our home system. Special ships get undocked for everyone to attack and the event always brings surprises, CCP devs, streamers, and other EVE celebrities. You just never know what might happen next.

“We're already preparing for spring 2025, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more information and details at EVEOGANDA, in addition to all the usual channels and social platforms. We look forward to seeing you there for the 11th annual FF4A!”

Fanfest

Dates: most years, variable dates but usually in spring or summer. Next event at time of writing: 1-3 May, 2025

From EVE Vegas to the Invasion World Tour, capsuleers get around. But no real-world event has more prominence, precedence, glitz, or glam than Fanfest. Following a 2024 hiatus, Fanfest will return to Reykjavik in 2025. The Icelandic capital gets overrun with EVE fans for the event, which is bustling with activities for players of all inclinations. Some of the highlights include: 

• Exciting announcements about EVE Online and other EVE projects 

• Presentations and speeches from CCPers, player presenters, and special guests 

• Sitdowns, seminars, panels, and hangouts with the devs 

• Raffles, auctions, games, tattoos, makeovers, cosplay, and giveaways

• A notorious bar crawl and the rip-roaring ‘Top of the World’ party

Capsuleer Day 

Dates: May 6, annually

Capsuleer Day is a long-running event that celebrates the inception of EVE Online itself. This year, it’ll align with Fanfest for what we suspect will be an extra-special iteration. A few community members nominated it for this article, like yan57436, who recommends logging in every day for the daily rewards. Our favourite nomination, however, comes from Luka Zaharin. Enjoy: 

“On May 6, 2003, a universe was born - a universe of untapped potential. Then came life… and union! 

“Capsuleer Day is one of the big three annual EVE Online events. Every year, for approximately 30 days in April and May, the annual event celebrates the anniversary of the release of EVE. The daily login rewards offer Skill Points, skins, and other goodies. Omega players also receive a complete set of Society of Conscious Thought (SoCT) ships, like the Gnosis. 

“The event’s activities are largely composed of PvE and data exploration sites, with varying preciousness of loot in the different security systems. Newer players can run the sites in well-fitted T1 battlecruisers and exploration frigates. However, T2 cruisers, Marauders, and Asteros allow for faster farming. Like the other events in the big three - the Winter Nexus and Crimson Harvest - the event has a classic point system, exchangeable for crates, skins, and more. 

“Overall it can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, but the risks should not be underestimated.”

Most years, we see iterations of the same activities. So if you’d like to be in good stead for 2025, check out this guide to 2024’s Capsuleer Day sites.

Gallente Day

Dates: June, historically annually

Each of the EVE Online factions have their special day: Minmatar has Liberation Day in early July, Amarr has Foundation Day in early August, and Caldari has Union Day in early September. None, however, rival the splendour of Gallente Day. It’s had a quiet couple of years, but when it wants to, the Federation sure knows how to put on a show. JHenckes gives us the lowdown: 

“Gallente Day celebrates the values of the Gallente Federation: freedom and democracy. It typically takes place in June. However, the last time it occurred was in 2022. Even though its largest activities have been on hold, commemorative skins have still been released in the years since to mark the occasion. When the event is in full swing, capsuleers can log in to earn fireworks, boosters, skins, and Skill Points.

“My best tip for taking advantage of the sites is to use ships with strong tanking capabilities and high rates of DPS. I played in 2022 and really enjoyed it. It’s cool that it connects so deeply with EVE’s lore, and the Grand Prix races are a real highlight.”

Check out more of the stunning Gallente Day artwork that Rixx Javix shared in our EVE Online faction propaganda gallery.

The Anger Games

Dates: typically spring or summer, some years 

The Anger Games is a community-run 7v7 PvP tournament that takes place on a special event server, fittingly known as the Thunderdome. It celebrated its sixth iteration in April 2024. The rules change a bit from year to year, with the most recent tournament switching from feeder rounds to a round-robin group stage before a double-elimination top 16. 

The Alliance Tournament (AT)

Dates: signup and feeder competitions tend to take place in summer, and the finals in autumn, annually

The Alliance Tournament is EVE Online’s foremost esports event, pitting EVE’s finest pilots and alliances against one another. Here’s a brief intro from Hunter: 

“All of you who want the rush and thrill of slaying and the promise of eternal glory, just wait for autumn every year (sometimes even twice a year). Join the tournament and show us why your alliance should dominate New Eden. What are you waiting for?”

And now for a more detailed breakdown from Sturmer 

“The EVE Online Alliance Tournament (AT) is one of the most exciting PvP events in the EVE universe, presenting the best pilots and strategies from across New Eden. First held in 2005, the tournament has become a beloved tradition, drawing thousands of viewers and participants as alliances vie for dominance in fierce battles. Organised by CCP Games, the Alliance Tournament pits teams against one another in a structured environment, emphasising both skill and coordination.

“The format has evolved over the years, but at its core, it is a double-elimination tournament with set team sizes and strict ship restrictions. Each alliance forms teams of pilots who must use carefully selected ships, fittings, and tactics to outwit and outfight their opponents. With a time limit on each match, teams must balance offensive and defensive strategies, making every second count. CCP Games provides official support and commentary, but there are also numerous community-run tournaments that keep the competitive spirit alive throughout the year, offering even more opportunities for pilots to hone their skills.

“Each tournament is sponsored by a certain faction, and the grand prizes are hyper-rare spaceships worth hundreds of billions - if not trillions - of ISK. Each faction also adds a twist to the rules, making each AT unique."

Sturmer doesn’t actively participate, so doesn’t have any advice for entrants, but he did share this lovely anecdote: 

“I’ve turned it into a father-and-son family tradition. We load the stream on a big TV screen, take out our notepads, grab some drinks and snacks, and watch it like any other sport. We yell at the screen, laugh, and cheer on random ships as they either explode or somehow survive. My son is five years old, and this is his third Alliance Tournament. He hardly understands what the commentators are talking about; for him, it’s just health bars, points, and the ‘pew-pew-pew’ Rifter ad. For me, it’s a wonderful way to spend an evening with family, making failed predictions and having fun.”

For a taste of AT hype, watch the five epic EVE fan trailers our community members made to mark Alliance Tournament XX.

GM Week

Dates: typically September (sometimes October), annually

GM Week, or Game Master Week, is the annual opportunity for EVE players to show their appreciation for those running their favourite game. And how do they show their appreciation? Usually by blowing them up. Here’s Hunter:

“This annual event typically occurs in September. It’s a week reserved for the celebration of EVE’s Game Masters and developers. It involves many activities, including scavenging challenges, hunting the GMs in-game, and lore-based PvE missions. Participants willing to put in the work will receive plenty of rewards - exclusive and otherwise.”

Crimson Harvest 

Dates: October-November, annually

New Eden may not have Halloween, but each autumn EVE celebrates the spooky season with a week of chilling and highly rewarding activities. Typically, EVE’s pirates play a crucial role in the sinister shenanigans, with the most recent event asking capsuleers to pick between the fanatical Order of St Tetrimon and the barbarous Blood Raiders. Expect blood-splattered skins, high-difficulty PvE sites, and Twitch Drops galore.  

As with Capsuleer Day, some activities return each year. So when pumpkins start filling doorsteps and candy filling shelves in 2025, be sure to return to this tip-filled list of Crimson Harvest fits.

Council of Stellar Management (CSM) elections

Dates: Q4, annually

The Council of Stellar Management is a player-advocacy group, supported by CCP Games. Each year, its members are voted in by other EVE players following hard-fought elections. It’s an important process for the health of the game, featuring campaigning, voting, and inauguration periods, and as such tends to stretch over several months. Most recently, CSM19 voting took place in October 2024. 

To learn more about the CSM and to get an idea of the types of issues candidates typically campaign on, check out these CSM18 candidate endorsements.

Winter Nexus

Dates: December to early January, annually

No prizes for guessing when in the year this one occurs. The Winter Nexus is the last of the major official EVE Online events. Over to Hunter to tell us the score: 

“As the name suggests, this event begins in December and ends in January, marking the end-of-year holidays. Expect holiday-themed activities ranging from PvE storm sites that drop special modules to snowball launching space battles. My best advice is to engage the PvE sites with stealth bombers or T3 destroyers. Plus, for those of you with a capitalistic mindset, be sure to watch the markets for commodity spikes.”

Visit the Winter Nexus section of our ultimate collection of EVE Online screenshots to see the wintry madness in all its glory.

Luminaire Snowball Fight 

Dates: mid-December, most years

Related to the Winter Nexus but community-led, the Luminaire Snowball Fight has a rich and bloody history. Here’s Limal explaining how capsuleers celebrate Christmas: 

“They call it the Luminaire Snowball Fight to draw capsuleers in, but in reality it’s a merciless battle of snowballs and fireworks; the Annual Luminaire Massacre would be a more fitting name. It all began on 22 December 2013 and was initiated by Commander A9. After some digging in the forum archives, I found the original post. 

“Over the years, this festive tradition has evolved into one of EVE Online’s most anticipated community events. This year marked its 11th iteration. The event often features appearances by popular CCP staff like CCP Convict and Zelus. This year, Zelus joined nearly 90 capsuleers in a spectacular crescendo of fireworks and festivities. Beyond the dazzling light show, the Luminaire Snowball Fight offers: 

• Secret Santa gift exchanges

• Free fireworks, snowballs, and fitted festival ships

• Music provided by New Eden Radio 

“It’s a shining example of community-driven EVE Online tradition, blending creativity with the unique charm of New Eden. Here are a few shots from the event: 

Did we miss any crucial EVE Online events? Give us the lowdown in the replies, and we’ll add them to the article. Which is your favourite?

Some text has been edited for brevity, clarity, or spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You can find the original wording here. Image credit: Razorien on Flickr and CCP Games.