Intergalactic Friendship Day Date in the current year: July 30, 2024

The United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Friendship in 2011 to promote the idea that friendship is the simplest form of solidarity between individuals, peoples, cultures, and countries that can build bridges between communities and inspire peace efforts. The iconic science fiction franchises Doctor Who and Star Trek are totally on board with this idea!

Throughout the long run of both franchises (Doctor Who premiered in 1963, and the first episode of Star Trek: The Original Series aired in 1966), friendship has been one of their recurring themes. The whole premise of Doctor Who is about friends exploring all of time and space, and Star Trek has depicted some of the most fulfilling and enduring friendships in the history of science fiction, from Kirk and Spock in The Original Series and beyond, to Boimler and Mariner in Lower Decks.

So it is not surprising that the respective showrunners of the two franchises eventually joined efforts and created Intergalactic Friendship Day to celebrate friendship as a core value of both Star Trek and Doctor Who, as well as friendships between Trekkies and Whovians around the globe. We’re talking about Russel T Davies, who returned as the showrunner and head writer of Doctor Who in 2021, and Alex Kurtzman, who became the executive producer of the Star Trek franchise on television in 2018.

The duo kicked off the celebration with an exclusive panel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con dedicated to the art of storytelling and the power of friendship. The inaugural celebration also included the Friendship Is Universal gallery experience in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, a limited-time crossover event in the Doctor Who: Lost in Time and Star Trek: Lower Decks mobile games, special giveaways, and fan events.

Intergalactic Friendship Day is all about celebrating the values of friendship and hope that Doctor Who and Star Trek fandoms have in common, as well as the camaraderie and companionship that are at the heart of both franchises. There are many ways to join the celebration: you can participate in official events, organize a Star Trek/Doctor Who watch party, write a crossover fanfic featuring both fandoms, create a crossover fan art or fan video, attend a sci-fi convention near you, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #IntergalacticFriendshipDay, #StarTrek and #DoctorWho.

Since Intergalactic Friendship Day is all about celebrating the friendship in our lives and coincides with the International Day of Friendship, it is a perfect day to spend some quality time with your friends and reach out to those of them who don’t live nearby to remind them that you love them and value their friendship. It’s also a great day to make some new friends through Star Trek or Doctor Who fandom – it’s always easier to connect with people who share at least one of your interests!