This study systematically and critically synthesises how the notion of authenticity has been addressed in the extant events literature to foster social sustainability in host destinations. Studies between 1996 and 2020 were systematically collected and analysed, revealing an observable emphasis on how authentic events can drive and improve social sustainability in destinations. By adopting a systems thinking approach, this study subsequently developed a holistic multi-actor network, so-called authenticity ecosystem. In this authenticity ecosystem, authenticity in events is posited as a vehicle permeating host destinations to drive social sustainability. Following this, four significant research directions were proposed to advance the authenticity scholarship in events and destination management, thus providing strategic agendas for the future of event and destination management research. This study therefore contributes to the understanding of how destination managers can better use authenticity in events to enhance social sustainability in host destinations.