diff --git a/branding/README.md b/branding/README.md
index 00aac49..b84ba6c 100644
--- a/branding/README.md
+++ b/branding/README.md
@@ -47,16 +47,12 @@ When both `logo.svg` and `logo.png` are present, SVG wins.
   "name": "AIO",              // required — drives PWA manifest name
   "shortName": "AIO",         // optional — PWA home-screen label; defaults to `name`
   "themeColor": "#1f2937",    // optional — PWA chrome color override (otherwise each standalone keeps its accent)
-  "backgroundColor": "#fff",  // optional — PWA splash background
-  "theme": "light",           // optional — default in-app mode: light | dark | system
-  "palette": "darkmatter"     // optional — default in-app palette (see PALETTES)
+  "backgroundColor": "#fff"   // optional — PWA splash background
 }
 ```
 
 `themeColor` and `backgroundColor` are *overrides*, not defaults. When unset, each standalone's own accent applies (wallet yellow `#eab308`, chat green `#16a34a`, …) — so the default brand kit preserves the per-app visual identity, and a deployer who wants unified chrome adds the override.
 
-`theme` and `palette` set the **in-app** color scheme — distinct from `themeColor` (which is only the PWA chrome / status-bar color). They define the *initial* default a fresh visitor sees; once a user picks a theme in-app it's stored in `localStorage` and always wins. `palette` must be one of the names in `src/components/theme-provider` (`PALETTES`): `catppuccin` (the built-in default), `countrysidecastle`, `darkmatter`, `emeraldforest`, `lightgreen`, `neobrut`, `starrynight`. Each palette has both a light and a dark variant, so e.g. "darkmatter light" is `{ "theme": "light", "palette": "darkmatter" }`. Unset → the app's built-ins (`dark` + `catppuccin`). Applies app-wide (hub + every standalone).
-
 ## Per-standalone overrides
 
 Place a logo at `branding/<dep>/icons/<app>/logo.{svg,png}` to override the brand's primary logo for a single standalone build.
@@ -71,37 +67,6 @@ Resolution at build time:
 
 `<app>` is set via `BRAND_APP` env var (the standalone build script sets this; deployers don't touch it directly).
 
-## Optional banner (logo + wordmark lockup)
-
-A brand may ship a **banner** — a single wide image combining the logo and the wordmark — that replaces the logo + app-name pair in a standalone's header (currently the events page header). Banners are optional: brands without one keep the default logo + name rendering.
-
-```
-branding/<dep>/
-  banner.svg               # preferred — crisp at any size, recolorable
-  banner.png               # fallback (wide, transparent background)
-  icons/
-    events/banner.svg      # optional per-standalone override
-```
-
-Resolution mirrors the logo chain (`resolveAppBanner` in `vite-branding.ts`):
-
-1. `branding/<dep>/icons/<app>/banner.svg`
-2. `branding/<dep>/icons/<app>/banner.png`
-3. `branding/<dep>/banner.svg`
-4. `branding/<dep>/banner.png`
-5. No banner → header falls back to logo + name (no error).
-
-SVG is strongly preferred — a banner is wide and rasterizes poorly when scaled. Components reference it via the build-time `@brand-app-banner` alias; whether it renders is driven by the `VITE_APP_BANNER` flag, so the component stays brand-agnostic.
-
-> **⚠️ Outline text to paths in any SVG you ship.** The browser only has
-> web-safe fonts — if a banner/logo SVG keeps live `<text>` elements that
-> reference a designer font (e.g. a decorative display face), the browser
-> substitutes a default font and the glyphs render wrong (we hit this with
-> a mangled `!` in the "Oyez!" banner). In Inkscape: **Edit → Select All in
-> All Layers (Ctrl+Alt+A)** — plain Select All only covers the current
-> layer — then **Path → Object to Path (Shift+Ctrl+C)**, and save. Verify
-> with `grep -c '<text' banner.svg` → should be `0`.
-
 ## How to use
 
 **Building with the default brand:**
diff --git a/src/components/theme-provider/index.ts b/src/components/theme-provider/index.ts
index bfbb2b6..36b9079 100644
--- a/src/components/theme-provider/index.ts
+++ b/src/components/theme-provider/index.ts
@@ -21,28 +21,10 @@ export const PALETTES: Palette[] = [
   'starrynight',
 ]
 
-// The palette styled by the bare `:root` in index.css (no `data-theme`
-// attribute). This is a fixed invariant of the CSS, NOT the configurable
-// default — applyPalette() removes the attribute only for this one.
-const BASE_PALETTE: Palette = 'catppuccin'
-
-// Brand-configurable initial defaults, surfaced from brand.json via
-// vite-branding.ts (VITE_BRAND_THEME / VITE_BRAND_PALETTE). These set the
-// first-load value when the user has no saved preference; a stored choice
-// always overrides (see onMounted). Invalid/unset values fall back to the
-// app's built-ins ('dark' + catppuccin).
-const BRAND_THEME = (import.meta.env.VITE_BRAND_THEME as string) || ''
-const BRAND_PALETTE = (import.meta.env.VITE_BRAND_PALETTE as string) || ''
-const DEFAULT_THEME: Theme =
-  BRAND_THEME === 'dark' || BRAND_THEME === 'light' || BRAND_THEME === 'system'
-    ? BRAND_THEME
-    : 'dark'
-const DEFAULT_PALETTE: Palette = (PALETTES as string[]).includes(BRAND_PALETTE)
-  ? (BRAND_PALETTE as Palette)
-  : BASE_PALETTE
+const DEFAULT_PALETTE: Palette = 'catppuccin'
 
 const useTheme = () => {
-  const theme = ref<Theme>(DEFAULT_THEME)
+  const theme = ref<Theme>('dark')
   const systemTheme = ref<'dark' | 'light'>('light')
   const palette = ref<Palette>(DEFAULT_PALETTE)
 
@@ -63,7 +45,7 @@ const useTheme = () => {
   }
 
   const applyPalette = () => {
-    if (palette.value === BASE_PALETTE) {
+    if (palette.value === DEFAULT_PALETTE) {
       document.documentElement.removeAttribute('data-theme')
     } else {
       document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', palette.value)
diff --git a/src/modules/events/views/EventsPage.vue b/src/modules/events/views/EventsPage.vue
index 10447b5..39af9bd 100644
--- a/src/modules/events/views/EventsPage.vue
+++ b/src/modules/events/views/EventsPage.vue
@@ -10,17 +10,11 @@ import {
 } from '@/components/ui/collapsible'
 import { SlidersHorizontal, CalendarDays, Plus } from 'lucide-vue-next'
 import brandAppLogoUrl from '@brand-app-logo?url'
-import brandAppBannerUrl from '@brand-app-banner?url'
 // Brand name flows through VITE_APP_NAME (set in vite.events.config.ts
 // from brand.name). cfaun → "Oyez!", default → "Events", etc. Falls
 // back to the i18n string only when no brand is configured (shouldn't
 // happen in production builds, but defensive).
 const appName: string = (import.meta.env.VITE_APP_NAME as string) || ''
-// When the active brand ships a banner (wide logo+wordmark lockup), it
-// replaces the logo + name pair in the header. The flag is set at build
-// time; brandAppBannerUrl falls back to the logo when unset, so we only
-// render the banner when the flag is truthy.
-const hasBanner = (import.meta.env.VITE_APP_BANNER as string) === '1'
 import { useEvents } from '../composables/useEvents'
 import { useEventsStore } from '../stores/events'
 import EventSearchOverlay from '../components/EventSearchOverlay.vue'
@@ -87,27 +81,17 @@ function openCalendar() {
 
 <template>
   <div class="container mx-auto py-4 px-4">
-    <!-- Page header. A brand may ship a wide banner (logo + wordmark in
-         one image) that replaces the logo + name pair; otherwise we show
-         the brand-kit logo (per-standalone override or global) paired
-         with the standalone's localized name. Both resolve at build time
-         via @brand-app-banner / @brand-app-logo so deployers can override
+    <!-- Page header — brand-kit logo (per-standalone override or
+         global) paired with the standalone's localized name. Resolved
+         at build time via @brand-app-logo so deployers can override
          without touching this component. -->
-    <h1 class="mb-3 text-xl sm:text-2xl font-bold text-foreground">
+    <h1 class="mb-3 flex items-center gap-2 text-xl sm:text-2xl font-bold text-foreground">
       <img
-        v-if="hasBanner"
-        :src="brandAppBannerUrl"
+        :src="brandAppLogoUrl"
         :alt="appName || t('events.title')"
-        class="h-12 sm:h-14 w-auto max-w-full"
+        class="h-10 w-10 sm:h-12 sm:w-12 shrink-0"
       />
-      <span v-else class="flex items-center gap-2">
-        <img
-          :src="brandAppLogoUrl"
-          :alt="appName || t('events.title')"
-          class="h-10 w-10 sm:h-12 sm:w-12 shrink-0"
-        />
-        {{ appName || t('events.title') }}
-      </span>
+      {{ appName || t('events.title') }}
     </h1>
 
     <!-- Search with dropdown overlay -->
diff --git a/src/vite-env.d.ts b/src/vite-env.d.ts
index b743dac..2e36090 100644
--- a/src/vite-env.d.ts
+++ b/src/vite-env.d.ts
@@ -9,23 +9,3 @@ declare module '@brand-app-logo?url' {
   const src: string
   export default src
 }
-
-// Optional brand banner (wide logo+wordmark lockup). Resolved at build
-// time by vite-branding.ts; falls back to the logo when the active brand
-// ships no banner, so the import always resolves. The component gates on
-// `VITE_APP_BANNER` before rendering it.
-declare module '@brand-app-banner?url' {
-  const src: string
-  export default src
-}
-
-interface ImportMetaEnv {
-  /** Brand name, set from brand.json in vite.<app>.config.ts. */
-  readonly VITE_APP_NAME?: string
-  /** '1' when the active brand ships a banner, '' otherwise. */
-  readonly VITE_APP_BANNER?: string
-  /** Brand default theme mode ('light'|'dark'|'system'), set from brand.json. */
-  readonly VITE_BRAND_THEME?: string
-  /** Brand default palette name, set from brand.json. */
-  readonly VITE_BRAND_PALETTE?: string
-}
diff --git a/vite-branding.ts b/vite-branding.ts
index 55ec901..ccfd33c 100644
--- a/vite-branding.ts
+++ b/vite-branding.ts
@@ -28,35 +28,12 @@ export interface Brand {
    * config keeps its hardcoded value.
    */
   backgroundColor?: string
-  /**
-   * Optional default in-app theme mode (light / dark / system). Sets the
-   * INITIAL value the theme-provider uses when the user has no saved
-   * preference; a user's later choice still wins and persists. Unset →
-   * the app's built-in default ('dark'). Distinct from `themeColor`,
-   * which is PWA chrome only.
-   */
-  theme?: 'light' | 'dark' | 'system'
-  /**
-   * Optional default in-app color palette (e.g. 'darkmatter'). Same
-   * initial-default semantics as `theme`. Must be one of the palettes in
-   * src/components/theme-provider (PALETTES). Unset → 'catppuccin'.
-   */
-  palette?: string
 }
 
 export const brand: Brand = JSON.parse(
   readFileSync(resolve(BRAND_DIR, 'brand.json'), 'utf-8'),
 )
 
-// Surface the brand's in-app theme defaults to the client as VITE_*
-// env vars (read by the theme-provider). Set here at module load — every
-// vite.<app>.config.ts imports this file — so the default applies
-// app-wide (hub + all standalones) without per-config wiring. Always
-// assigned (empty when unset) so a prior brand's value can't leak into a
-// later build in the same process.
-process.env.VITE_BRAND_THEME = brand.theme ?? ''
-process.env.VITE_BRAND_PALETTE = brand.palette ?? ''
-
 /**
  * Spread into a vite config's `resolve.alias` map. Lets components
  * import deployer-provided assets via `@brand/<file>` instead of
@@ -115,46 +92,6 @@ export function brandAppLogoAliasEntry(app?: string) {
   } as const
 }
 
-/**
- * Optional brand banner — a wide lockup (logo + wordmark in one image)
- * that replaces the logo + app-name pair in a standalone's header.
- *
- * Resolution mirrors {@link resolveAppLogo} (per-standalone override
- * first, then the brand's primary banner), but a banner is OPTIONAL:
- * returns `null` when none is found instead of throwing. Brands that
- * don't ship a banner keep the default logo + name rendering.
- */
-export function resolveAppBanner(app?: string): string | null {
-  const candidates: string[] = []
-  if (app) {
-    candidates.push(
-      join(BRAND_DIR, 'icons', app, 'banner.svg'),
-      join(BRAND_DIR, 'icons', app, 'banner.png'),
-    )
-  }
-  candidates.push(
-    join(BRAND_DIR, 'banner.svg'),
-    join(BRAND_DIR, 'banner.png'),
-  )
-  return candidates.find((p) => existsSync(p)) ?? null
-}
-
-/**
- * Standalone-aware brand-banner alias entry, the banner sibling of
- * {@link brandAppLogoAliasEntry}. Always registers the
- * `@brand-app-banner` alias so the static `import '@brand-app-banner?url'`
- * in the component resolves cleanly — when the active brand has no
- * banner it falls back to the resolved logo, which the component never
- * renders (it gates on the `VITE_APP_BANNER` flag instead).
- */
-export function brandAppBannerAliasEntry(app?: string) {
-  const resolved = resolveAppBanner(app) ?? resolveAppLogo(app)
-  return {
-    find: /^@brand-app-banner(\?.*)?$/,
-    replacement: `${resolved}$1`,
-  } as const
-}
-
 /**
  * PWA manifest name for a standalone. Combines the brand name with the
  * app's own label, or returns the bare brand when no label is given.
diff --git a/vite.events.config.ts b/vite.events.config.ts
index 5fbc96c..4cea47d 100644
--- a/vite.events.config.ts
+++ b/vite.events.config.ts
@@ -8,11 +8,9 @@ import { visualizer } from 'rollup-plugin-visualizer'
 import {
   brand,
   brandAlias,
-  brandAppBannerAliasEntry,
   brandAppLogoAliasEntry,
   brandAssetsPlugin,
   brandManifestName,
-  resolveAppBanner,
 } from './vite-branding'
 
 /**
@@ -57,12 +55,6 @@ function eventsHtmlPlugin(): Plugin {
 const APP_NAME = brandManifestName()
 process.env.VITE_APP_NAME = APP_NAME
 
-// When the active brand ships a banner (wide logo+wordmark lockup), the
-// events header renders it in place of the logo + name pair. Surfaced as
-// a '1'/'' flag the component reads; the actual file comes through the
-// @brand-app-banner alias below. See branding/README.md.
-process.env.VITE_APP_BANNER = resolveAppBanner('events') ? '1' : ''
-
 export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => ({
   base: process.env.VITE_BASE_PATH || '/',
   // Per-app dep cache so concurrent dev servers don't race on .vite/deps
@@ -136,7 +128,6 @@ export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => ({
     // aliases without one shadowing the other.
     alias: [
       brandAppLogoAliasEntry('events'),
-      brandAppBannerAliasEntry('events'),
       ...Object.entries(brandAlias).map(([find, replacement]) => ({ find, replacement })),
       { find: '@', replacement: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src', import.meta.url)) },
     ],