Guides

How to run an event on Evenings

Updated October 7, 2026

This guide takes one public show, like a release party, a guest mix or a one-night set, from first announcement to the recording afterwards. You'll end up with a page people can RSVP to, a reminder text that goes out before you start, and a way to text everyone who signed up.

For what each button does, Event pages, RSVPs and text blasts is the reference.

Before you start

You need an Evenings station and a plan for the audio:

Live: you'll stream at show time from your browser or software like OBS. If you haven't done it before, run through Your first broadcast once beforehand.
Prerecorded: the audio is already in your Library, and we play it at show time whether you're there or not.

Step 01: Create a public event

For a live show, click Schedule Event at the top of your dashboard (a calendar icon on narrower screens).

For a prerecorded show, open your Library, select the track, and click Schedule in its panel. That's the only way to attach audio to an event.

Then fill in the form:

Cover: the large image on your event page, and the one that shows when someone posts your link in a group chat or on social media. The page shows it square, so a square image fits.
Title: keep it short. It's in every text we send, from You're going to "(your title)" to The host of (your title) sent a Text Blast.
Date and times: in your device's time zone, shown next to the times. If you're scheduling from somewhere other than where you broadcast, read Times and time zones first.
Description: who's playing, what to expect, anything people should know. It shows on the event page and in link previews.
Private / Public: switch to Public. Shows are Private by default, and private shows don't get a page anyone else can see.

Click Complete.

Repeating shows: you can make an event repeat, but RSVP reminders, the date on the event page and the live title only follow the first date for now. For anything people RSVP to, make a separate event for each date.

More detail: Schedule a live broadcast · Schedule a prerecorded livestream

Step 02: Check your event page

Open your Calendar, click the event, and click Share Link. Your event page opens in a new tab at evenings.fm/e/ followed by a short code. That's the link to share, so copy it from the address bar.

Listeners see:

Your cover, the date and time, the title and description
Hosted by and your station name, linked to your station page
An I'M GOING button
A LISTEN LIVE button whenever your station is on air (LISTEN while Always On is playing)

Times on the page appear in each listener's own time zone, and clicking the date downloads a calendar file for their calendar app.

To fix something, go back to the Calendar, click Edit Details, make the change and click Complete. The link stays the same.

Step 03: Spread the word

Post the event link wherever you'd put a flyer: your social profiles, newsletters, group chats. Ask people to tap I'M GOING so they get a text before you start.
Share your whole schedule. Click Share at the top of your Calendar to copy your public schedule link, like evenings.fm/sample-radio/schedule. It lists every public show and stays current, so it works well in a profile bio.
Put it on your own site. The Events API returns your public events as JSON with no API key, and includes an example for listing them.

Your station page doesn't list upcoming events yet, so post the event or schedule link wherever people find you.

Step 04: Watch the RSVPs

Once people RSVP, the event's details on your Calendar show a count like 12 interested. Click it to see names and when each person signed up.

Only confirmed RSVPs count: everyone confirms their number with a 6-digit code first. You never see phone numbers, because we send the texts for you.

Step 05: Text people before the show

The reminder goes out on its own. Everyone on the list gets a text 15 minutes before the start time, with a link to the event page. People who RSVP inside those last 15 minutes don't get one.

Use a text blast for anything else. On your Calendar, open the event and click Text Blast, write up to 160 characters and click Send text. Some moments where one helps:

The day before: "Tomorrow at 21:00 CEST. See you there."
If plans change: "Running 20 minutes late. Starting 21:20 CEST."
When you start: "We're on air now. Tap the link in your reminder to listen."

Each blast goes to everyone who RSVP'd and hasn't opted out, and starts with The host of (your title) sent a Text Blast -. Your past blasts are listed under Message History.

The Text Blast button only shows on public events, and only when you open them from the Calendar.

Step 06: Run the show

Live: go live the way you normally do, during the event's slot. Scheduling doesn't start the broadcast for you. When you go live in the slot, your broadcast takes the event's title and cover.

Prerecorded: you don't need to do anything. The track goes on air at the start time and takes over from Always On. If you go live during the slot, your live broadcast plays instead.

Listeners can tune in from the event page. The reminder text links there, and the page shows LISTEN LIVE as soon as your station is on air. If you start early or late, a short text blast saves people refreshing the page.

Step 07: Follow up

Your recording is in your Library with the event's title, cover and description. It starts unpublished. Choose Publish to Explore when you want it public.
Send a thank-you blast. Say thanks, say when the next one is, or point people to the recording.
The event page stays up, but once the end time passes it reads "This event has ended" and takes no more RSVPs. For the next one, make a new event.

What your listeners experience

They tap I'M GOING and enter their name and phone number, changing the country code from +1 if they're outside the US and Canada.
We text them a 6-digit code to confirm the number.
They get a confirmation: You're going to "(your title)". Cheers! Reply STOP to opt out of event texts.
15 minutes before the start, they get a reminder with the event link.
They get any text blasts you send.

Replying STOP turns off event texts, for every Evenings event they've RSVP'd to and any they RSVP to later. Replying START turns them back on.

RSVPs are separate from station subscribers, the people who signed up on your station page. Subscribers get a text when you go live, at most once a day, whether or not there's an event. RSVPs only hear about the event they signed up for.

Checklist

Event created and set to Public
Cover, title, time and description checked on the event page
Time zone abbreviation next to the times checked
Event link or schedule link posted where your listeners are
Day-before text blast sent
Setup tested, if you're going live
"We're on air" text blast sent
Thank-you blast sent and recording published

Troubleshooting

There's no Text Blast button. The event is private, or you opened it from somewhere other than the Calendar. Switch it to Public with Edit Details, then open it from the Calendar.

A text blast says "Failed to send message. Please try again." Usually nobody has finished RSVPing yet, or everyone who did has replied STOP. Check the interested count first. If it's above zero and sending still fails, email us.

A text blast says "Too many messages sent." You can send two a minute. Wait a minute and send it again.

A listener's number won't work. Check that they changed the country code from +1 if they're outside the US and Canada. We can't text every country, so some numbers can't RSVP.

The event shows at the wrong time. Open it on your Calendar: its details list the start and end times with the time zone they were saved in. If that's not your station's time zone, set your device to the right one and edit the times again. See Times and time zones.

People got a reminder for the first week but not the second. Repeating events only send reminders for their first date for now. Make a separate event for each date.

When the night is over, schedule the recording as a prerecorded show for anyone who missed it. If something goes wrong before or during your event, email contact@evenings.email with the event link. We'd much rather help you before the show than explain afterwards what went wrong.