diff --git a/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventForm.tsx b/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventForm.tsx
index e026d2e140..bf77391f33 100644
--- a/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventForm.tsx
+++ b/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventForm.tsx
@@ -27,15 +27,21 @@ const EventForm: React.FC<EventFormProps> = (props) => {
   } = useVenuesQuery();
 
   const defaultValues = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!data) return {};
+    if (!data)
+      return {
+        start_at: new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 16),
+        ends_at: new Date(Date.now() + 1000 * 60 * 60)
+          .toISOString()
+          .slice(0, 16),
+      };
     return {
       name: data.name,
       description: data.description,
       url: data.url,
       video_url: data.video_url,
       capacity: data.capacity,
-      start_at: data.start_at,
-      ends_at: data.ends_at,
+      start_at: new Date(data.start_at).toISOString().slice(0, 16),
+      ends_at: new Date(data.ends_at).toISOString().slice(0, 16),
       tags: (data.tags || []).map((t) => t.name).join(', '),
       venueId: data.venueId,
     };
@@ -66,11 +72,11 @@ const EventForm: React.FC<EventFormProps> = (props) => {
           ) : (
             <Input
               key={field.key}
+              type={field.type}
               label={field.label}
               placeholder={field.placeholder}
               isRequired
               {...register(field.key)}
-              defaultValue={formatValue(field, data)}
             />
           ),
         )}
diff --git a/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventFormUtils.ts b/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventFormUtils.ts
index 538f0dc59d..8d1eb8cbaa 100644
--- a/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventFormUtils.ts
+++ b/client/src/modules/dashboard/Events/components/EventFormUtils.ts
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ export const fields: Field[] = [
   },
   {
     key: 'url',
-    type: 'text',
+    type: 'url',
     label: 'Url',
     placeholder: '',
   },
   {
     key: 'video_url',
-    type: 'text',
+    type: 'url',
     label: 'Video Url',
     placeholder: '',
   },
diff --git a/cypress/integration/dashboard/events.js b/cypress/integration/dashboard/events.js
index bd34ef3a36..0be31811fe 100644
--- a/cypress/integration/dashboard/events.js
+++ b/cypress/integration/dashboard/events.js
@@ -38,14 +38,14 @@ describe('events dashboard', () => {
     cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Description' }).type(fix.description);
     cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Url' }).type(fix.url);
     cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Video Url' }).type(fix.videoUrl);
-    cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Capacity' }).type(fix.capacity);
+    cy.findByRole('spinbutton', { name: 'Capacity' }).type(fix.capacity);
     cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Tags (separated by a comma)' }).type(
       'Test, Event, Tag',
     );
-    // TODO: it shouldn't be necessary to clear the date textboxes - the page needs to
-    // be fixed
-    cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Start at' }).clear().type(fix.startAt);
-    cy.findByRole('textbox', { name: 'End at' }).clear().type(fix.endAt);
+
+    cy.findByLabelText(/^Start at/).type(fix.startAt);
+
+    cy.findByLabelText(/^End at/).type(fix.endAt);
     // TODO: figure out why cypress thinks this is covered.
     // cy.findByRole('checkbox', { name: 'Invite only' }).click();
     cy.get('[data-cy="invite-only-checkbox"]').click();
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ describe('events dashboard', () => {
       .as('venueTitle');
 
     cy.findByRole('form', { name: 'Add event' }).submit();
+
     cy.location('pathname').should('match', /^\/dashboard\/events\/\d/);
     // confirm that the test data appears in the new event
     cy.wrap(Object.entries(fix)).each(([key, value]) => {
diff --git a/server/src/app.ts b/server/src/app.ts
index e57642060c..488a359b34 100644
--- a/server/src/app.ts
+++ b/server/src/app.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const main = async (app: Express) => {
   app.use(cors({ credentials: true, origin: true }));
   app.use(userMiddleware);
 
-  const schema = await buildSchema({ resolvers, validate: false });
+  const schema = await buildSchema({ resolvers });
   const server = new ApolloServer({
     schema,
     context: ({ req, res }: { req: Request; res: Response }): GQLCtx => ({
diff --git a/server/src/controllers/Events/inputs.ts b/server/src/controllers/Events/inputs.ts
index df7f4b0989..ace2723788 100644
--- a/server/src/controllers/Events/inputs.ts
+++ b/server/src/controllers/Events/inputs.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { IsUrl } from 'class-validator';
 import { InputType, Field, Int } from 'type-graphql';
 import { VenueType } from 'src/models';
 
@@ -10,9 +11,11 @@ export class CreateEventInputs {
   description: string;
 
   @Field(() => String, { nullable: true })
+  @IsUrl()
   url?: string;
 
   @Field(() => String, { nullable: true })
+  @IsUrl()
   video_url?: string;
 
   @Field(() => VenueType, { nullable: true })
@@ -46,9 +49,11 @@ export class UpdateEventInputs {
   description: string;
 
   @Field(() => String, { nullable: true })
+  @IsUrl()
   url?: string;
 
   @Field(() => String, { nullable: true })
+  @IsUrl()
   video_url?: string;
 
   @Field(() => VenueType, { nullable: true })