diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f0b871ebc06..68a8a9d7f3a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 - `FilterProcessor.Enabled` in `go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/log/internal/x` now accepts `EnabledParameters` instead of `Record`. (#5791)
 - The `Record` type in `go.opentelemetry.io/otel/log` is no longer comparable. (#5847)
 - Performance improvements for the trace SDK `SetAttributes` method in `Span`. (#5864)
+- Reduce memory allocations for the `Event` and `Link` lists in `Span`. (#5858)
 
 ### Deprecated
 
diff --git a/sdk/trace/evictedqueue.go b/sdk/trace/evictedqueue.go
index 821c83faa1d..8c308dd60a9 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/evictedqueue.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/evictedqueue.go
@@ -12,25 +12,26 @@ import (
 
 // evictedQueue is a FIFO queue with a configurable capacity.
 type evictedQueue[T any] struct {
-	queue        []T
-	capacity     int
-	droppedCount int
-	logDropped   func()
+	queue          []T
+	capacity       int
+	droppedCount   int
+	logDroppedMsg  string
+	logDroppedOnce sync.Once
 }
 
 func newEvictedQueueEvent(capacity int) evictedQueue[Event] {
 	// Do not pre-allocate queue, do this lazily.
 	return evictedQueue[Event]{
-		capacity:   capacity,
-		logDropped: sync.OnceFunc(func() { global.Warn("limit reached: dropping trace trace.Event") }),
+		capacity:      capacity,
+		logDroppedMsg: "limit reached: dropping trace trace.Event",
 	}
 }
 
 func newEvictedQueueLink(capacity int) evictedQueue[Link] {
 	// Do not pre-allocate queue, do this lazily.
 	return evictedQueue[Link]{
-		capacity:   capacity,
-		logDropped: sync.OnceFunc(func() { global.Warn("limit reached: dropping trace trace.Link") }),
+		capacity:      capacity,
+		logDroppedMsg: "limit reached: dropping trace trace.Link",
 	}
 }
 
@@ -53,6 +54,10 @@ func (eq *evictedQueue[T]) add(value T) {
 	eq.queue = append(eq.queue, value)
 }
 
+func (eq *evictedQueue[T]) logDropped() {
+	eq.logDroppedOnce.Do(func() { global.Warn(eq.logDroppedMsg) })
+}
+
 // copy returns a copy of the evictedQueue.
 func (eq *evictedQueue[T]) copy() []T {
 	return slices.Clone(eq.queue)
diff --git a/sdk/trace/evictedqueue_test.go b/sdk/trace/evictedqueue_test.go
index 7b88d63d077..66269395817 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/evictedqueue_test.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/evictedqueue_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
+	"github.com/go-logr/logr/funcr"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/internal/global"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -36,18 +40,25 @@ func TestCopy(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestDropCount(t *testing.T) {
 	q := newEvictedQueueEvent(3)
-	var called bool
-	q.logDropped = func() { called = true }
+
+	var called int
+	t.Cleanup(func(l logr.Logger) func() {
+		return func() { global.SetLogger(l) }
+	}(global.GetLogger()))
+	global.SetLogger(funcr.New(func(prefix, args string) {
+		called++
+	}, funcr.Options{Verbosity: 1}))
 
 	q.add(Event{Name: "value1"})
-	assert.False(t, called, `"value1" logged as dropped`)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, called, `"value1" logged as dropped`)
 	q.add(Event{Name: "value2"})
-	assert.False(t, called, `"value2" logged as dropped`)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, called, `"value2" logged as dropped`)
 	q.add(Event{Name: "value3"})
-	assert.False(t, called, `"value3" logged as dropped`)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, called, `"value3" logged as dropped`)
 	q.add(Event{Name: "value1"})
-	assert.True(t, called, `"value2" not logged as dropped`)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, called, `"value2" not logged as dropped`)
 	q.add(Event{Name: "value4"})
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, called, `"value4" logged as dropped`)
 	if wantLen, gotLen := 3, len(q.queue); wantLen != gotLen {
 		t.Errorf("got queue length %d want %d", gotLen, wantLen)
 	}