How to find events in Second Life: live music, parties and classes

Something is happening in Second Life every hour of the day: DJ sets, live singers, dance parties, trivia games, art openings, language classes, building lessons and meetups. This guide shows where to find them and how to get the most out of an event once you are there.

Where events are listed

The official events list. Residents and venues post events to the Second Life events list, which you can search in the viewer and on the Second Life website. Every event has a start time in SLT, a duration and a teleport link.
Group notices. Clubs, music venues and communities send notices when an event starts. Join the groups of places you enjoy.
Venue boards. Many clubs show the week's line-up on a board at the landing point.
WhatSL. The events page and the "On now" list on the home page show what is running now and what starts soon, with the SLT time and your local time side by side, in seven languages.

Hearing the music

Most live music and DJ events play an audio stream on the region. If you hear nothing:

Open the viewer preferences, go to Sound & Media and make sure streaming music is turned on.
Check that the music volume is not muted in the volume controls.
Some viewers ask before playing a new stream; allow it.
Make sure you are standing on the venue's parcel. The stream belongs to the parcel, so it stops when you walk off it.

Tipping and etiquette

Tipping is part of event culture in Second Life. DJs, singers and hosts usually have a tip jar: click it and pay a few L$ if you enjoy the show. Venues often split tips between the performer and the host. Other good habits:

Say hello in local chat, but keep the chat friendly and short when the room is busy.
Follow any dress code mentioned in the event text (formal, costume, theme).
Do not advertise your own store or event at someone else's party.

Beating the lag at busy events

Popular events can be crowded. To keep things smooth:

Lower your draw distance to the size of the venue.
Take off heavily scripted attachments and HUDs you do not need.
Use the viewer's avatar complexity setting to simplify very complex avatars around you.
Arrive a few minutes early: regions have an avatar limit and the best events fill up.

Times and time zones

All event times are in SLT, the US Pacific time zone. A party at 2 PM SLT is late evening in Europe and the middle of the night in Japan. Read our guide What is SLT? to convert times quickly. On WhatSL, your local time is shown next to every event.

Hosting your own event

Running a party, class or show? Post it on the official events list, send a notice to your group, and list it on WhatSL for free so residents who read other languages can find it too.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay to go to events?

Most events are free. Tipping the DJ, singer or host is common and welcome, but it is your choice.

Why can't I hear the music at a club?

Streaming music is probably off in your viewer, or you are standing outside the venue's parcel. Turn on streaming music in Sound & Media and walk onto the dance floor.

What does "event full" mean?

The region has reached its avatar limit. Wait a little and try again, or come earlier next time.