diff --git a/branding/README.md b/branding/README.md
index b84ba6c..00aac49 100644
--- a/branding/README.md
+++ b/branding/README.md
@@ -47,12 +47,16 @@ 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
+  "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)
 }
 ```
 
 `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.
@@ -67,6 +71,37 @@ 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 36b9079..bfbb2b6 100644
--- a/src/components/theme-provider/index.ts
+++ b/src/components/theme-provider/index.ts
@@ -21,10 +21,28 @@ export const PALETTES: Palette[] = [
   'starrynight',
 ]
 
-const DEFAULT_PALETTE: Palette = 'catppuccin'
+// 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 useTheme = () => {
-  const theme = ref<Theme>('dark')
+  const theme = ref<Theme>(DEFAULT_THEME)
   const systemTheme = ref<'dark' | 'light'>('light')
   const palette = ref<Palette>(DEFAULT_PALETTE)
 
@@ -45,7 +63,7 @@ const useTheme = () => {
   }
 
   const applyPalette = () => {
-    if (palette.value === DEFAULT_PALETTE) {
+    if (palette.value === BASE_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 39af9bd..10447b5 100644
--- a/src/modules/events/views/EventsPage.vue
+++ b/src/modules/events/views/EventsPage.vue
@@ -10,11 +10,17 @@ 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'
@@ -81,17 +87,27 @@ function openCalendar() {
 
 <template>
   <div class="container mx-auto py-4 px-4">
-    <!-- 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
+    <!-- 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
          without touching this component. -->
-    <h1 class="mb-3 flex items-center gap-2 text-xl sm:text-2xl font-bold text-foreground">
+    <h1 class="mb-3 text-xl sm:text-2xl font-bold text-foreground">
       <img
-        :src="brandAppLogoUrl"
+        v-if="hasBanner"
+        :src="brandAppBannerUrl"
         :alt="appName || t('events.title')"
-        class="h-10 w-10 sm:h-12 sm:w-12 shrink-0"
+        class="h-12 sm:h-14 w-auto max-w-full"
       />
-      {{ appName || t('events.title') }}
+      <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>
     </h1>
 
     <!-- Search with dropdown overlay -->
diff --git a/src/vite-env.d.ts b/src/vite-env.d.ts
index 2e36090..b743dac 100644
--- a/src/vite-env.d.ts
+++ b/src/vite-env.d.ts
@@ -9,3 +9,23 @@ 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 ccfd33c..55ec901 100644
--- a/vite-branding.ts
+++ b/vite-branding.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,35 @@ 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
@@ -92,6 +115,46 @@ 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 4cea47d..5fbc96c 100644
--- a/vite.events.config.ts
+++ b/vite.events.config.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import { visualizer } from 'rollup-plugin-visualizer'
 import {
   brand,
   brandAlias,
+  brandAppBannerAliasEntry,
   brandAppLogoAliasEntry,
   brandAssetsPlugin,
   brandManifestName,
+  resolveAppBanner,
 } from './vite-branding'
 
 /**
@@ -55,6 +57,12 @@ 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
@@ -128,6 +136,7 @@ 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)) },
     ],