<p>MySQL raises ER_EVENT_ENDS_BEFORE_STARTS when the ENDS timestamp in a CREATE EVENT or ALTER EVENT statement is missing or earlier than the STARTS timestamp, making the schedule invalid.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1543 ER_EVENT_ENDS_BEFORE_STARTS occurs when an event's ENDS time is invalid or earlier than its STARTS time. Correct the schedule by supplying a later ENDS value or omit ENDS entirely.</p>
ENDS is either invalid or before STARTS
Error 1543 appears when the MySQL event scheduler parses a CREATE EVENT or ALTER EVENT definition that includes an ENDS clause earlier than the STARTS clause or with an invalid timestamp.
The server refuses to create or modify the event because the resulting schedule would never execute, protecting data integrity and system resources.
The most common cause is a developer entering hard coded timestamps where ENDS is accidentally set to a past date or a date before STARTS. Dynamic expressions that evaluate to NULL or an earlier date also trigger the error.
Timezone conversions, string to date casts, or copying event templates without updating both timestamps can create the invalid condition.
Always set ENDS to a timestamp later than STARTS. If the event should run indefinitely, omit the ENDS clause. Verify timezone offsets and confirm that NOW(), CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, or variable based dates evaluate as expected.
Use ALTER EVENT to correct existing definitions, or DROP and recreate the event with proper timestamps.
If STARTS uses NOW() and ENDS uses NOW() + INTERVAL -1 DAY, the subtraction places ENDS in the past. Replace the negative interval with a positive value.
When cloning events from staging, update the ENDS date to match production requirements instead of leaving the old date.
Parametrize dates with variables or expressions that guarantee ENDS > STARTS. Add unit tests or CI checks that run SHOW EVENTS and validate schedules.
Galaxy's SQL editor highlights date arithmetic in real time, helping developers spot illogical schedules before running DDL statements.
ER_SAME_NAME_PARTITION (1481) surfaces when a partition name duplicates an existing one. ER_SCHEDULE_TIMEOUT (1557) indicates an event could not be scheduled. Both require correcting object definitions and timing logic.
Copying sample code with fixed timestamps often leaves ENDS earlier than the current date.
Using NOW() + INTERVAL -1 DAY produces a past ENDS value that violates scheduler rules.
Storing STARTS in UTC and ENDS in local time can reverse the expected order.
If a variable in ENDS evaluates to NULL, MySQL treats it as 0000-00-00 00:00:00, which is before most STARTS values.
Raised when creating an event with a name that already exists in the schema.
Appears when attempting to alter or drop an event that is not found.
Indicates the event scheduler could not schedule the event due to an invalid or unreachable time.
No. ENDS must be later than STARTS or omitted. Identical timestamps trigger the same error.
No. Omitting ENDS is allowed and lets the event run forever after STARTS.
No. The parser validates the statement before scheduling. The error appears even if the scheduler is OFF.
Galaxy highlights illogical date math, offers AI fixes, and lets teams review event DDL collaboratively to prevent production errors.
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