Star Citizen Referral CodeStar Citizen Free Fly 2026 — Full Year Calendar
Every Free Fly event in Star Citizen's 2026 schedule, with confirmed dates, ships, themes, and current status. The in-game year is 2956 — that is why the May event is "DefenseCon 2956". Updated as RSI confirms or postpones events.
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Use this code at signup before any Free Fly opens: +50,000 UEC permanent in-game currency.
Create RSI Account — Code Auto-Applied →2026 Free Fly events at a glance
Quick scan of the full year. Detailed write-ups for each event below.
| Event | Month | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coramor 2956 | Feb | Feb 12 – Feb 23 | ✓ Completed |
| Captains of Industry | Apr | Apr 9 – Apr 20 | ✓ Completed |
| DefenseCon 2956 | May | May 14 – May 27 | ⏸ Free Fly postponed |
| Foundation Festival | Jul | Jul 29 – Aug 10 | ✓ Completed |
| Ship Showdown 2956 | Aug | Aug 26 – Sep 2 | ⚠ Running, existing backers only |
| IAE 2956 | Nov | ~Nov 19 – Dec 3 (TBD) | ⏳ Expected (biggest) |
Event-by-event breakdown
Coramor 2956 — Feb 12-23, 2026
Star Citizen's annual Valentine's Day Free Fly. Mid-tier event with a curated selection of multi-role ships, focusing on cooperative play.
Flyable ships:
- Anvil Arrow (light fighter)
- Argo Mole (medium mining)
- Drake Cutlass Black (multi-role)
- Drake Golem (small mining)
- RSI Salvation (small salvage)
New debut: Argo MOTH multi-crew salvage vessel.
Referral bonus: New recruits received a Greycat Aril "Red Alert" Armor Set. Referrers earned a HoverQuad with "Lovestruck Paint".
Captains of Industry — Apr 9-20, 2026
Cargo-focused Free Fly tied to the Alpha 4.7 patch release, featuring industrial ships and the new MISC Hull B heavy hauler debut.
Flyable ships:
- Argo ATLS (cargo loader)
- Drake Golem OX (mining variant)
- Crusader C1 Spirit (light freight)
- Hull A (cargo hauler)
- Cutter (entry-level multi-role)
- RAFT (medium cargo)
New debuts: MISC Hull B (512 SCU heavy cargo), Greycat UTV ground vehicle.
DefenseCon 2956 — May 14-27, 2026
In-universe military and defense expo, hosted by Drake Interplanetary. Replaces the traditional Invictus Launch Week format. The event itself runs for existing players, but the Free Fly portion for new players was indefinitely postponed on May 15.
Location: Bevic Convention Center, Area18, ArcCorp.
Ships showcased (rentable for existing players): 100+ military-themed ships rotating per manufacturer.
New ship debuts:
- Drake Ironclad + Ironclad Assault
- Drake Pitbull
- Aegis Tiburon
- MISC Starlight
- Origin M80
- Anvil Odin Battlecruiser (concept sale)
Why the Free Fly was postponed
CIG's Jared Huckaby announced on Star Citizen Live (May 15): the Free Fly will not begin until "the mission system cools down and we feel better about the experience." Existing-player activity caused server instability that RSI did not want to compound. No confirmed reopen date as of mid-May 2026.
Foundation Festival — Jul 29 to Aug 10, 2026
Annual community-focused Free Fly celebrating the UEE's civic volunteer program. A smaller, curated event rather than a manufacturer-wide showcase, and the last 2026 window that was open to everyone.
Flyable ships:
- RSI Aurora Mk II (entry multi-role)
- Drake Cutter (compact all-rounder)
- Drake Golem (small mining)
- Crusader Intrepid (starter hauler)
- RSI Salvation (small salvage)
Referral bonus: a limited promotion ran alongside it until August 12, 2026. It has now expired. The standing 50,000 UEC signup bonus is unaffected and still applies.
Ship Showdown 2956 — Aug 26 to Sep 2, 2026
Community voting tournament where players bracket-vote on their favourite ships. The Elite Eight that survive the bracket are free to fly for the week.
This one will not let a new account in
CIG limited the 2956 Ship Showdown Free Fly to the community already in the game. Its stated reason: Alpha 4.10 was heading to Live in the same week, and it did not want to launch a major patch and run a wide Free Fly at once. If you do not own a Game Package yet, the next window expected to be open to everyone is the IAE in November.
IAE 2956 — Expected ~Nov 19 – Dec 3, 2026
Intergalactic Aerospace Expo — the largest Free Fly of the year. Features 150-200 ships across all manufacturers, with each manufacturer getting a 1-2 day spotlight period when their ships are available to rent free of charge.
Pattern-based prediction: Approximately November 19 – December 3, 2026, based on 2024 (Nov 22-Dec 5) and 2025 (Nov 20-Dec 3) patterns.
Location: Vision Center, Orison, Crusader.
ILW / DefenseCon vs IAE — what's the difference?
The two largest annual Free Fly events. They look similar but cover different ship categories.
| Attribute | ILW / DefenseCon (May) | IAE (November) |
|---|---|---|
| In-game theme | Military / UEEN Fleet Week (Drake-hosted in 2026) | Commercial spacecraft expo, all manufacturers |
| Ship focus | Military: fighters, bombers, frigates, capital warships | Civilian, commercial, industrial, military |
| Venue | Bevic Convention Center, Area18, ArcCorp | Vision Center, Orison, Crusader |
| Scale | ~100 military ships | 150-200 ships across manufacturers |
| Format | Daily manufacturer rotation | Day-by-day manufacturer spotlight (2 days per) |
| Special extras | Capital ship tours (Idris-P walkable) | New ship reveals, anniversary sales |
Frequently asked questions
How many Star Citizen Free Fly events are there in 2026?
What was the Star Citizen Coramor 2026 Free Fly?
What was Captains of Industry 2026?
What is DefenseCon 2956?
When is IAE 2956?
What is Foundation Festival in Star Citizen?
Can I use my referral code during any Free Fly?
STAR-JTV7-FXLR can be entered at signup during any Free Fly event (or any other time). The 50,000 UEC bonus is granted on account creation and is permanent — it does not depend on the event window. You have 24 hours after account creation to add the code retroactively if you forget at signup.Do all 2026 Free Fly events offer the same ships?
Current event status
For the live up-to-date "is there a Free Fly right now" answer with the current expected next event.
← When is the next Free Fly?