Star Citizen Free Fly Schedule 2026
A Free Fly is live right now: Foundation Festival 2026 runs Jul 29 – Aug 10, 2026. CIG does not publish a fixed annual calendar — each window is announced by official Comm-Link, usually one to two weeks ahead. The repeating pattern: a May flagship event, a mid-year Foundation Festival, and the IAE in late November.
The 2026 windows
| Window | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| May 14–27, 2026 | DefenseCon 2956 | Ended |
| Jul 29 – Aug 10, 2026 | Foundation Festival 2026 | Live now |
| Late November 2026 (expected) | Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956 → | Expected |
“Expected” rows are pattern-based, not announcements. Every confirmed row is sourced from an official RSI Comm-Link — see the full event history for past years.
The pattern behind the schedule
Free Fly windows track CIG's recurring events. The May flagship (Invictus Launch Week through 2025, DefenseCon in 2026) brings a military-themed showcase. Foundation Festival lands mid-year and is aimed squarely at new players. The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo in late November is the biggest of the three — historically 100+ ships free to fly across rotating manufacturer days. If you can only make one window a year, IAE is the one to plan around.
Get the next window on your calendar
The status banner at the top of every page here flips the moment an event is announced. You can also subscribe to the free Free Fly calendar feed (.ics) maintained by our sister site dayonecitizen.com — it carries the current confirmed window and works with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar.
Be ready before the window opens
Your RSI account is free and takes two minutes — and a referral code only works at signup. Create it now with the code, claim the 50,000 UEC bonus, and you're set for whichever window comes next.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Star Citizen Free Fly schedule for 2026?
Two windows are confirmed so far: DefenseCon 2956 ran May 14–27, and the Foundation Festival 2026 Free Fly runs July 29 – August 10. Based on the yearly pattern, the next expected window is the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) in late November — CIG has not announced IAE 2956 dates yet.
Is there a fixed Free Fly schedule?
No. Cloud Imperium Games does not publish an annual calendar. Each Free Fly is announced through an official Comm-Link, usually one to two weeks before the event starts. What repeats is the pattern: a May flagship event, a mid-year Foundation Festival, and the IAE in late November.
How often does Star Citizen have Free Fly events?
Several times a year. The dependable anchors are the May flagship (Invictus in past years, DefenseCon in 2026), Foundation Festival in mid-year (it included a Free Fly in 2024, 2025, and 2026), and the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo every November since at least 2951 (2021).
How long does each Free Fly last?
Usually one to two weeks. Recent examples: Foundation Festival 2026 runs 13 days (July 29 – August 10), DefenseCon 2956 ran 14 days, and IAE 2955 ran about two weeks including its finale days.
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