diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index fe47c13..9532ae7 100644
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -673,11 +673,21 @@ const openApiSpec = {
         },
       },
     },
+    '/api/events/next': {
+      get: {
+        tags: ['Events'],
+        summary: 'Get next upcoming event (chronological)',
+        description: 'Get the single earliest upcoming published event, ignoring featured promotion.',
+        responses: {
+          200: { description: 'Next event or null' },
+        },
+      },
+    },
     '/api/events/next/upcoming': {
       get: {
         tags: ['Events'],
         summary: 'Get next upcoming event',
-        description: 'Get the single next upcoming published event.',
+        description: 'Get the featured event if valid, otherwise the single next upcoming published event.',
         responses: {
           200: { description: 'Next event or null' },
         },
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/events.ts b/backend/src/routes/events.ts
index 8561381..07fe638 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/events.ts
+++ b/backend/src/routes/events.ts
@@ -294,6 +294,45 @@ async function getEventTicketCount(eventId: string): Promise<number> {
   return ticketCount?.count || 0;
 }
 
+// Get the earliest upcoming published event with ticket counts (ignores featured promotion)
+async function getNextChronologicalUpcoming(): Promise<any | null> {
+  const now = getNow();
+  const event = await dbGet<any>(
+    (db as any)
+      .select()
+      .from(events)
+      .where(
+        and(
+          eq((events as any).status, 'published'),
+          gte((events as any).startDatetime, now)
+        )
+      )
+      .orderBy((events as any).startDatetime)
+      .limit(1)
+  );
+
+  if (!event) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const bookedCount = await getEventTicketCount(event.id);
+  const normalized = normalizeEvent(event);
+  return {
+    ...normalized,
+    bookedCount,
+    availableSeats: calculateAvailableSeats(normalized.capacity, bookedCount),
+  };
+}
+
+// Get next upcoming event (public) - earliest upcoming published event, ignores featured promotion
+eventsRouter.get('/next', async (c) => {
+  const event = await getNextChronologicalUpcoming();
+  if (!event) {
+    return c.json({ event: null });
+  }
+  return c.json({ event: { ...event, isFeatured: false } });
+});
+
 // Get next upcoming event (public) - returns featured event if valid, otherwise next upcoming
 eventsRouter.get('/next/upcoming', async (c) => {
   const now = getNow();
@@ -357,34 +396,13 @@ eventsRouter.get('/next/upcoming', async (c) => {
   }
   
   // Fallback: get the next upcoming published event
-  const event = await dbGet<any>(
-    (db as any)
-      .select()
-      .from(events)
-      .where(
-        and(
-          eq((events as any).status, 'published'),
-          gte((events as any).startDatetime, now)
-        )
-      )
-      .orderBy((events as any).startDatetime)
-      .limit(1)
-  );
-  
+  const event = await getNextChronologicalUpcoming();
+
   if (!event) {
     return c.json({ event: null });
   }
-  
-  const bookedCount = await getEventTicketCount(event.id);
-  const normalized = normalizeEvent(event);
-  return c.json({
-    event: {
-      ...normalized,
-      bookedCount,
-      availableSeats: calculateAvailableSeats(normalized.capacity, bookedCount),
-      isFeatured: false,
-    },
-  });
+
+  return c.json({ event: { ...event, isFeatured: false } });
 });
 
 // Create event (admin/organizer only)
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/(public)/featured/page.tsx b/frontend/src/app/(public)/featured/page.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5a90df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/(public)/featured/page.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';
+
+const apiUrl = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3001';
+
+async function getFeaturedEventSlug(): Promise<string | null> {
+  try {
+    const revalidateSeconds =
+      parseInt(process.env.NEXT_EVENT_REVALIDATE_SECONDS || '3600', 10) || 3600;
+    const response = await fetch(`${apiUrl}/api/events/next/upcoming`, {
+      next: { tags: ['next-event'], revalidate: revalidateSeconds },
+    });
+    if (!response.ok) return null;
+    const data = await response.json();
+    return data.event?.slug || null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+export default async function FeaturedEventPage() {
+  const slug = await getFeaturedEventSlug();
+  redirect(slug ? `/events/${slug}` : '/events');
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/(public)/next/page.tsx b/frontend/src/app/(public)/next/page.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65ec2e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/(public)/next/page.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';
+
+const apiUrl = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3001';
+
+async function getNextEventSlug(): Promise<string | null> {
+  try {
+    const revalidateSeconds =
+      parseInt(process.env.NEXT_EVENT_REVALIDATE_SECONDS || '3600', 10) || 3600;
+    const response = await fetch(`${apiUrl}/api/events/next`, {
+      next: { tags: ['next-event'], revalidate: revalidateSeconds },
+    });
+    if (!response.ok) return null;
+    const data = await response.json();
+    return data.event?.slug || null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+export default async function NextEventPage() {
+  const slug = await getNextEventSlug();
+  redirect(slug ? `/events/${slug}` : '/events');
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/sitemap.ts b/frontend/src/app/sitemap.ts
index c0e5762..70168eb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/sitemap.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/sitemap.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,18 @@ export default async function sitemap(): Promise<MetadataRoute.Sitemap> {
       changeFrequency: 'daily',
       priority: 0.9,
     },
+    {
+      url: `${siteUrl}/next`,
+      lastModified: now,
+      changeFrequency: 'daily',
+      priority: 0.8,
+    },
+    {
+      url: `${siteUrl}/featured`,
+      lastModified: now,
+      changeFrequency: 'daily',
+      priority: 0.8,
+    },
     {
       url: `${siteUrl}/community`,
       lastModified: now,
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/events.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/events.ts
index f2c420b..470b49d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api/events.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/events.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ export const eventsApi = {
 
   getById: (id: string) => fetchApi<{ event: Event }>(`/api/events/${id}`),
 
+  getNext: () => fetchApi<{ event: Event | null }>('/api/events/next'),
+
   getNextUpcoming: () => fetchApi<{ event: Event | null }>('/api/events/next/upcoming'),
 
   create: (data: Partial<Event>) =>