WWE's Longest-Running Premium Live Events as of 2026
Survivor Series will hold its 40th edition on November 28, 2026, at Daikin Park in Houston. That puts it second on the list of WWE's longest-running premium live events. Only WrestleMania has been held more times.
Here is every WWE premium live event with 16 or more editions, how each one started and where it stands in 2026.
WWE's longest-running premium live events at a glance
| Rank | Event | Editions | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WrestleMania | 42 | 1985 to 2026 |
| 2 | Survivor Series | 40 | 1987 to 2026 |
| 3 | Royal Rumble | 39 | 1988 to 2026 |
| 3 | SummerSlam | 39 | 1988 to 2026 |
| 5 | Backlash | 21 | 1999 to 2009, 2016 to 2018, 2020 to 2026 |
| 6 | Money in the Bank | 17 | 2010 to 2026 |
| 7 | Elimination Chamber | 16 | 2010 to 2015, 2017 to 2026 |
The Survivor Series count includes the 2026 edition on November 28.
1. WrestleMania: 42 editions (1985 to 2026)
The first WrestleMania took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T beat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff in the main event. The first event was shown on closed-circuit television in venues across the United States, not on pay-per-view.
WrestleMania became a two-night event in 2020 with WrestleMania 36, and it has stayed that way since. WrestleMania 42 took place on April 18 and 19, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium near Las Vegas, the second year in a row WrestleMania was held there.
2. Survivor Series: 40 editions (1987 to 2026)
The first Survivor Series was held on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1987, at the Richfield Coliseum in Ohio. It was built around the Survivor Series match, a team elimination match that is still the event's signature.
Survivor Series has been branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, with the WarGames match as its centrepiece. We ranked every men's WarGames match in WWE. The 40th edition takes place on November 28, 2026, at Daikin Park in Houston. Read our Survivor Series: WarGames 2026 guide for the card and start time. It is the second Survivor Series held in Houston, after 2017. See every major WWE event in Houston.
3. Royal Rumble: 39 editions (1988 to 2026)
The first Royal Rumble took place on January 24, 1988, at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It aired on the USA Network as a television special. Unusually, the Royal Rumble match was not the main event of the night.
The event moved to pay-per-view in 1989, in Houston. See every Royal Rumble winner. The 2026 Royal Rumble was held on January 31 at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the first traditional Royal Rumble held outside North America.
3. SummerSlam: 39 editions (1988 to 2026)
The first SummerSlam took place on Monday, August 29, 1988, at Madison Square Garden in New York. WWE created it as a summer pay-per-view to compete with Jim Crockett Promotions.
SummerSlam became a two-night event for the first time in 2025, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The 2026 edition was also held over two nights, on August 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and it featured Brock Lesnar's final match, a Hell in a Cell loss to Oba Femi.
5. Backlash: 21 editions (1999 to 2009, 2016 to 2018, 2020 to 2026)
The first Backlash took place on April 25, 1999, at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The idea behind the event was the "backlash" from WrestleMania, and the first main event was a WrestleMania XV rematch between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, with Shane McMahon as special referee.
Backlash has been taken off the calendar twice, but it has returned each time. The 2026 edition was held on May 9 at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
6. Money in the Bank: 17 editions (2010 to 2026)
The first Money in the Bank event was held on July 18, 2010, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Before it had its own event, the Money in the Bank ladder match was held every year at WrestleMania, starting in 2005.
The winner of the ladder match gets a briefcase with a guaranteed championship match at any time within the next year. The 2026 edition took place on October 10 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
7. Elimination Chamber: 16 editions (2010 to 2015, 2017 to 2026)
The first Elimination Chamber event took place on February 21, 2010, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The match itself is older: it was first held at Survivor Series in 2002.
In Germany, the event has been promoted under different names, including No Way Out in 2010 and No Escape in 2026. The 2026 edition was held on February 28 at the United Center in Chicago.
Why the 1988 Royal Rumble counts
The 1988 Royal Rumble was not a pay-per-view. It aired for free on the USA Network, on the same night as Jim Crockett Promotions' Bunkhouse Stampede pay-per-view. The Royal Rumble did not become a pay-per-view until 1989.
WWE still counts the 1988 show as the first Royal Rumble. It was a Royal Rumble event, built around a Royal Rumble match, and WWE's own numbering starts there. That is why the 2026 Royal Rumble was the 39th, and why the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, which both started in 1988, are tied on 39 editions.
Events that didn't make the list
Hell in a Cell: an annual event from 2009 to 2022, with about 14 editions. Every main event was a Hell in a Cell match. The event has been discontinued, although the match is still used at other events.
Extreme Rules: also an annual event from 2009 to 2022, with about 14 editions. It grew out of One Night Stand, the Extreme Championship Wrestling reunion show, and featured hardcore-rules matches. It has also been discontinued.
King of the Ring: an annual pay-per-view from 1993 to 2002, built around the King of the Ring tournament. The tournament has come back several times since, and the 2024 final was held at the King and Queen of the Ring event in Saudi Arabia, but King of the Ring has not run as a yearly event in the way the events above have.
In Your House: WWE held 27 In Your House events between 1995 and 1999, more than most of the events on this list. It was a monthly pay-per-view series that filled the months between WWE's major shows, not one annual event, so it does not count here. WWE later brought the name back for NXT from 2020 to 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is WWE's longest-running premium live event?
WrestleMania, with 42 editions from 1985 to 2026.
How many Survivor Series events have there been?
The November 28, 2026 event is the 40th Survivor Series. The first was in 1987.
How many Royal Rumble events have there been?
39, from 1988 to 2026. The count includes the 1988 Royal Rumble, which aired as a TV special rather than on pay-per-view.
Which is older, the Royal Rumble or SummerSlam?
Both started in 1988. The first Royal Rumble was in January 1988 and the first SummerSlam was in August 1988, and both have had 39 editions.
What are WWE's Big Four events?
WrestleMania, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam. They are WWE's four oldest annual events and the top four on this list.
Which one is your favorite?
WrestleMania, Survivor Series, the Royal Rumble or SummerSlam? Or one of the newer events like Money in the Bank or Elimination Chamber? Which one is your favorite?
