MySQL Event Scheduler Not Running? Fix in 3 Steps

Your MySQL events stop running after a server reboot? The fix is almost always a missing config flag or a permissions issue. Here's the exact steps, from a 30-second check to a deeper fix.

Why Your Events Stop After Reboot

I've seen this exact problem hundreds of times. You schedule a MySQL event, it runs fine until you restart the server. Then — nothing. Events sit there, ignored.

The culprit is almost always the event_scheduler variable. By default, it's off after a restart on many MySQL installations. You flip it on manually, events work again — but after the next reboot, you're back to square one.

Don't bother checking the event definition first. That's rarely the issue. Start with the simplest fix below.

Step 1: 30-Second Fix — Check Event Scheduler Status

Run this command in MySQL as root or a user with SUPER privileges:

SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'event_scheduler';

If it shows OFF or DISABLED, that's your problem. Turn it on for the current session:

SET GLOBAL event_scheduler = ON;

Your events should start running immediately. But this is temporary — it won't survive a restart. That's fine for now. You've confirmed the fix.

If event_scheduler already shows ON, move to Step 2.

Step 2: 5-Minute Fix — Make It Permanent

The real fix is to set event_scheduler=ON in the MySQL config file my.cnf (or my.ini on Windows). Here's where to find it:

Linux: Usually /etc/my.cnf, /etc/mysql/my.cnf, or /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf
Windows: C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\my.ini (or in the MySQL installation folder)
macOS (Homebrew): /usr/local/etc/my.cnf

Open the file with sudo or admin rights. Look for the [mysqld] section. If it's missing, add it at the top. Then add this line:

[mysqld]
event_scheduler=ON

Save the file. Restart MySQL:

sudo systemctl restart mysql   # Linux (systemd)
sudo service mysql restart      # Linux (sysvinit)

After restart, run SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'event_scheduler'; again. It should show ON. Your events will now run automatically after every reboot.

Step 3: 15+ Minute Fix — When Config Doesn't Stick

Sometimes you add the config line, restart, and event_scheduler still shows OFF. This usually means MySQL is reading a different config file. Here's how to find the right one:

mysql --help | grep cnf   # Linux
mysqld --verbose --help | findstr cnf  # Windows

Look for lines like Default options are read from the following files. It lists them in order. The last one that has the [mysqld] section wins. Put your config there.

Another common cause: the event_scheduler variable is set to DISABLED (not just OFF). That's a compile-time option — you can't change it without rebuilding MySQL. Check with:

SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'event_scheduler';

If it says DISABLED, you're stuck. You need to reinstall MySQL from a package that has event scheduler support (most stock packages do, but some minimal builds don't).

Check Permissions — Quick Detour

If events still don't run after enabling the scheduler, check if the event creator has the right privileges. Run:

SELECT user, host, event_priv FROM mysql.user WHERE user = 'your_event_user';

If event_priv is N, grant it:

GRANT EVENT ON *.* TO 'your_event_user'@'host';

Also check if the event itself is enabled:

SELECT name, status FROM mysql.event WHERE db = 'your_database';

status should be ENABLED. If SLAVESIDE_DISABLED, you've got a replication issue — the event only runs on the master.

Real-World Example

Last month, a client's MySQL 8.0 on Ubuntu 22.04 stopped running a purge job after a reboot. The fix? They had two my.cnf files — one in /etc/mysql/ and one in /etc/. The second one had event_scheduler=OFF and was being read last. Removing that line from the wrong file solved it.

Another case: a Windows Server 2019 with MySQL 5.7. The my.ini had the line under [mysqldump] by mistake. Moved it under [mysqld], restarted, events fired immediately.

Verify Events Are Running

Once the scheduler is on, check if events actually ran:

SELECT * FROM information_schema.EVENTS WHERE EVENT_SCHEMA = 'your_database' \G

Look at LAST_EXECUTED and STATUS. If STATUS is ENABLED and LAST_EXECUTED is recent, you're good.

Still broken? Check MySQL error logs — usually /var/log/mysql/error.log on Linux. Search for Event Scheduler or event. Sometimes the error is a syntax problem in the event body, not the scheduler itself.

The Short Version

1. Turn it on with SET GLOBAL event_scheduler = ON; — temporary test.
2. Add event_scheduler=ON under [mysqld] in the right config file — permanent fix.
3. Check permissions and event status if it's still broken.

That's it. You're done.