Ah Boonta Eve, the yearly celebration within the Star Wars universe that christens the annual expression of the Hutt’s love for violence and spectacle: Pod racing. Rife with fireworks, food stalls and Clan solidarity for the talented Pod pilots, Boonta Eve is the peak of Tatooine culture and travelers from all over come to witness — and bet — on the dangerous race.
The festival was named after the Hutt, Boonta Hestilic Shad’ruu, who ascended to godhood after defending his people. In true Hutt fashion, the Hutt-turned-god managed to protect his sluggy brethren by sacrificing a legion of slaves, sent forth in waves of suicide attacks to stall the invaders. He would go on to win several battles and crush the slave uprising on the planet Moralan by destroying the world as an example to any other unruly slaves.
Boonta Eve is said to honor Boonta’s final triumph in the Third Battle of Vontor. The eve of his definitive victory is now marked by festivities, kinship and of course, gambling. The stakes are high with travelers making or breaking on the races, high rollers use ships, pods and even slaves as collateral and more than one Hutt has lost more than they bargained for during the race.
What is Pod Racing?
First appearing in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), the concept immediately spurred a line of video games, toys, and action figures. Pod races last three laps and feature as far as we know, up to 18 racers. The track stretches around Mos Espa, a prominent Tatooine space port and former home of the notorious gangster Jabba the Hutt, and each lap ends in the Grand Arena, where most spectators gather to view the event. The race consists of three laps with the average speed of a racer resting somewhere around 900 kilometers per hour. Each lap takes a racer between five and 10 minutes, depending on how daring they feel and how many other racers are actively trying to kill them.
Between the high speeds and the penchant for hard-core racers like Sebulba for off-ing their competition, the race is incredibly dangerous. Outside of the course, the Tusken Raiders, natives of Tatooine, often take pot-shots at the pods and their drivers. Only six of 18 pilots finished the race during the events of The Phantom Menace. While some racers perish, it isn’t uncommon for them to live to race another day. Anakin Skywalker was one of the lucky few to survive, and the then eight-year-old would go on to win his next attempt at nine.