<p>The event scheduler refuses to create or keep an event whose first execution time is earlier than the current timestamp when ON COMPLETION NOT PRESERVE is set.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1588 ER_EVENT_CANNOT_CREATE_IN_THE_PAST appears when you try to create a scheduled event with a start time in the past while using ON COMPLETION NOT PRESERVE. Adjust STARTS to a future timestamp or omit the ON COMPLETION clause to resolve the issue.</p>
Event execution time is in the past and ON COMPLETION NOT
Error 1588 fires when the MySQL event scheduler detects that an event's first execution time is earlier than NOW() and the clause ON COMPLETION NOT PRESERVE is present.
Because NOT PRESERVE instructs MySQL to drop the event after the final run, the server immediately deletes the newly created event, returning this error instead of silently accepting an unusable definition.
The primary cause is specifying a STARTS or DO AT timestamp that is already past relative to the server clock while also adding ON COMPLETION NOT PRESERVE.
The error can surface after daylight saving shifts, clock drift, or incorrect time zone settings that make your intended start time appear historical.
Set the STARTS value to a future time or remove ON COMPLETION NOT PRESERVE so the event is preserved even if its first run is skipped.
Verify server time zone with SELECT NOW(), then align all event timestamps to that zone before creation.
CI/CD scripts that seed recurring maintenance events often reuse static dates. Updating those scripts to generate dynamic future dates eliminates the error.
Developers cloning production dumps into local laptops may forget to adjust event times. Running ALTER EVENT ... STARTS CURRENT_TIMESTAMP + INTERVAL 1 HOUR quickly resolves it.
Always calculate event STARTS as NOW() + margin in deployment pipelines. Avoid hard-coding absolute timestamps.
Set server_time_zone in my.cnf and use SET time_zone='UTC' in sessions to keep times consistent across environments.
Error 1537 Event already exists - happens when you try to create an event with a duplicate name. Use CREATE EVENT IF NOT EXISTS or DROP EVENT first.
Error 1579 Events scheduler disabled - occurs when the event_scheduler global variable is OFF. Enable with SET GLOBAL event_scheduler=ON.
The STARTS value is earlier than NOW() because a fixed date was hard-coded or copied from another environment.
The client assumes UTC while the server operates in local time, making a seemingly future date look historical on the server.
DST shifts can push a future-looking timestamp into the past if calculations ignore the change.
This optional clause triggers immediate drop of the event when its first run is in the past, surfacing the error.
The event cannot run because event_scheduler is OFF. Enable it globally or per session.
Triggered when an event with the same name exists. Use IF NOT EXISTS or rename the event.
Occurs when STARTS or ENDS are missing for a ONE TIME event. Supply proper schedule clauses.
Yes, because the event remains in the event table even if its first run is missed, avoiding the immediate drop.
No. The event is not created, so scheduled tasks will never run. Adjust the schedule or flag and recreate.
Query INFORMATION_SCHEMA.EVENTS where STARTS < NOW() to list problematic events.
Galaxy's SQL editor surfaces real-time linting for event schedules and can auto-suggest CURRENT_TIMESTAMP offsets, reducing the chance of past dates.
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