diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index f7b8218785f6fa8911bc9c8544d7eb14ff9e2f2f..3dbd8c59efc5ceb37d3a7fb930d749d9d264f7a6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -1541,7 +1541,7 @@ static int setup_events(const char * const *attrs, unsigned len)
 	unsigned i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
-		if (parse_events(evsel_list, attrs[i]))
+		if (parse_events(evsel_list, attrs[i], NULL))
 			return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/code-reading.c b/tools/perf/tests/code-reading.c
index f671ec37a7c40c1346ebe92e77a6d201bc89305e..ca0e480e741baed24f59db5aac05d191b4ff0c9d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/code-reading.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/code-reading.c
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ static int do_test_code_reading(bool try_kcore)
 		else
 			str = "cycles";
 		pr_debug("Parsing event '%s'\n", str);
-		ret = parse_events(evlist, str);
+		ret = parse_events(evlist, str, NULL);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			pr_debug("parse_events failed\n");
 			goto out_err;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/evsel-roundtrip-name.c b/tools/perf/tests/evsel-roundtrip-name.c
index b8d8341b383e7bc123c29301eff6fbe6e98be332..3fa715987a5ec2693e2bcdb31a33e3f20616c136 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/evsel-roundtrip-name.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/evsel-roundtrip-name.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ static int perf_evsel__roundtrip_cache_name_test(void)
 			for (i = 0; i < PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_RESULT_MAX; i++) {
 				__perf_evsel__hw_cache_type_op_res_name(type, op, i,
 									name, sizeof(name));
-				err = parse_events(evlist, name);
+				err = parse_events(evlist, name, NULL);
 				if (err)
 					ret = err;
 			}
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ static int __perf_evsel__name_array_test(const char *names[], int nr_names)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nr_names; ++i) {
-		err = parse_events(evlist, names[i]);
+		err = parse_events(evlist, names[i], NULL);
 		if (err) {
 			pr_debug("failed to parse event '%s', err %d\n",
 				 names[i], err);
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/hists_cumulate.c b/tools/perf/tests/hists_cumulate.c
index 18619966454c572a0f3c0a1b2330818fc6e1ffe4..b08a95a5ca1aa53f4faed0aa8b27168b59f5e330 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/hists_cumulate.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/hists_cumulate.c
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ int test__hists_cumulate(void)
 
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("No memory", evlist);
 
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock", NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/hists_filter.c b/tools/perf/tests/hists_filter.c
index 59e53db7914c0ad6100ab2e616cdf21e39efea46..108488cd71fa39c2f56cce1b9d817dba7b9444a0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/hists_filter.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/hists_filter.c
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ int test__hists_filter(void)
 
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("No memory", evlist);
 
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock", NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "task-clock");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "task-clock", NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/hists_link.c b/tools/perf/tests/hists_link.c
index 278ba8344c236d000a0388c3ef1c18b60350f554..34c61e4d3352fbfd6984d5b30c05e6d32bf2d64c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/hists_link.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/hists_link.c
@@ -282,10 +282,10 @@ int test__hists_link(void)
 	if (evlist == NULL)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock", NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "task-clock");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "task-clock", NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/hists_output.c b/tools/perf/tests/hists_output.c
index b52c9faea22450ed4092d67acdb1eb15ce15c6a8..d8a23db80094f3cb8a9a4d9efc56b6cf1c5639f5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/hists_output.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/hists_output.c
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ int test__hists_output(void)
 
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("No memory", evlist);
 
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock", NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/keep-tracking.c b/tools/perf/tests/keep-tracking.c
index 7a5ab7b0b8f698146794be7584af453a446f79ee..5b171d1e338bdd26bcf1343f58e8b0bdb314b71c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/keep-tracking.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/keep-tracking.c
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ int test__keep_tracking(void)
 
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
 
-	CHECK__(parse_events(evlist, "dummy:u"));
-	CHECK__(parse_events(evlist, "cycles:u"));
+	CHECK__(parse_events(evlist, "dummy:u", NULL));
+	CHECK__(parse_events(evlist, "cycles:u", NULL));
 
 	perf_evlist__config(evlist, &opts);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c
index 3de744961739c2c1502e0c0367c357b2f39c90a6..82d2a1636f7f1f3d18a0901298a1a51e0b14777d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ static int test_event(struct evlist_test *e)
 	if (evlist == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	ret = parse_events(evlist, e->name);
+	ret = parse_events(evlist, e->name, NULL);
 	if (ret) {
 		pr_debug("failed to parse event '%s', err %d\n",
 			 e->name, ret);
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c b/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c
index f238442b238a297d11e0622f275bf847e5b7db94..5f49484f1abc03bed80d035c508501914a577caf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ int test__perf_time_to_tsc(void)
 
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
 
-	CHECK__(parse_events(evlist, "cycles:u"));
+	CHECK__(parse_events(evlist, "cycles:u", NULL));
 
 	perf_evlist__config(evlist, &opts);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c b/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c
index cc68648c7c555210c17c7c3d8d6b61eb14a39e73..0d31403ea593c7d2e689056af1670a18423a39ed 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ int test__switch_tracking(void)
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, threads);
 
 	/* First event */
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock:u");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "cpu-clock:u", NULL);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_debug("Failed to parse event dummy:u\n");
 		goto out_err;
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ int test__switch_tracking(void)
 	cpu_clocks_evsel = perf_evlist__last(evlist);
 
 	/* Second event */
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "cycles:u");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "cycles:u", NULL);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_debug("Failed to parse event cycles:u\n");
 		goto out_err;
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ int test__switch_tracking(void)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	err = parse_events(evlist, sched_switch);
+	err = parse_events(evlist, sched_switch, NULL);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_debug("Failed to parse event %s\n", sched_switch);
 		goto out_err;
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ int test__switch_tracking(void)
 	perf_evsel__set_sample_bit(cycles_evsel, TIME);
 
 	/* Fourth event */
-	err = parse_events(evlist, "dummy:u");
+	err = parse_events(evlist, "dummy:u", NULL);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_debug("Failed to parse event dummy:u\n");
 		goto out_err;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index be0655388b38e4238d69782ee0e9c8357276a574..6978cc37795730aff7af46afb3abd0dd88213d07 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "parse-events-flex.h"
 #include "pmu.h"
 #include "thread_map.h"
+#include "asm/bug.h"
 
 #define MAX_NAME_LEN 100
 
@@ -1019,11 +1020,13 @@ int parse_events_terms(struct list_head *terms, const char *str)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str)
+int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str,
+		 struct parse_events_error *err)
 {
 	struct parse_events_evlist data = {
-		.list = LIST_HEAD_INIT(data.list),
-		.idx  = evlist->nr_entries,
+		.list  = LIST_HEAD_INIT(data.list),
+		.idx   = evlist->nr_entries,
+		.error = err,
 	};
 	int ret;
 
@@ -1044,16 +1047,87 @@ int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+#define MAX_WIDTH 1000
+static int get_term_width(void)
+{
+	struct winsize ws;
+
+	get_term_dimensions(&ws);
+	return ws.ws_col > MAX_WIDTH ? MAX_WIDTH : ws.ws_col;
+}
+
+static void parse_events_print_error(struct parse_events_error *err,
+				     const char *event)
+{
+	const char *str = "invalid or unsupported event: ";
+	char _buf[MAX_WIDTH];
+	char *buf = (char *) event;
+	int idx = 0;
+
+	if (err->str) {
+		/* -2 for extra '' in the final fprintf */
+		int width       = get_term_width() - 2;
+		int len_event   = strlen(event);
+		int len_str, max_len, cut = 0;
+
+		/*
+		 * Maximum error index indent, we will cut
+		 * the event string if it's bigger.
+		 */
+		int max_err_idx = 10;
+
+		/*
+		 * Let's be specific with the message when
+		 * we have the precise error.
+		 */
+		str     = "event syntax error: ";
+		len_str = strlen(str);
+		max_len = width - len_str;
+
+		buf = _buf;
+
+		/* We're cutting from the beggining. */
+		if (err->idx > max_err_idx)
+			cut = err->idx - max_err_idx;
+
+		strncpy(buf, event + cut, max_len);
+
+		/* Mark cut parts with '..' on both sides. */
+		if (cut)
+			buf[0] = buf[1] = '.';
+
+		if ((len_event - cut) > max_len) {
+			buf[max_len - 1] = buf[max_len - 2] = '.';
+			buf[max_len] = 0;
+		}
+
+		idx = len_str + err->idx - cut;
+	}
+
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s'%s'\n", str, buf);
+	if (idx) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%*s\\___ %s\n", idx + 1, "", err->str);
+		if (err->help)
+			fprintf(stderr, "\n%s\n", err->help);
+		free(err->str);
+		free(err->help);
+	}
+
+	fprintf(stderr, "Run 'perf list' for a list of valid events\n");
+}
+
+#undef MAX_WIDTH
+
 int parse_events_option(const struct option *opt, const char *str,
 			int unset __maybe_unused)
 {
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist = *(struct perf_evlist **)opt->value;
-	int ret = parse_events(evlist, str);
+	struct parse_events_error err = { .idx = 0, };
+	int ret = parse_events(evlist, str, &err);
+
+	if (ret)
+		parse_events_print_error(&err, str);
 
-	if (ret) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "invalid or unsupported event: '%s'\n", str);
-		fprintf(stderr, "Run 'perf list' for a list of valid events\n");
-	}
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1535,3 +1609,13 @@ void parse_events__free_terms(struct list_head *terms)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(term, h, terms, list)
 		free(term);
 }
+
+void parse_events_evlist_error(struct parse_events_evlist *data,
+			       int idx, const char *str)
+{
+	struct parse_events_error *err = data->error;
+
+	err->idx = idx;
+	err->str = strdup(str);
+	WARN_ONCE(!err->str, "WARNING: failed to allocate error string");
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
index 52a2dda4f954a7682d43376bd3ac2ee91d127447..5ac2ffa0a145d1bca667c7b678805d82f7f33ecb 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 struct list_head;
 struct perf_evsel;
 struct perf_evlist;
+struct parse_events_error;
 
 struct option;
 
@@ -29,7 +30,8 @@ const char *event_type(int type);
 
 extern int parse_events_option(const struct option *opt, const char *str,
 			       int unset);
-extern int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str);
+extern int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str,
+			struct parse_events_error *error);
 extern int parse_events_terms(struct list_head *terms, const char *str);
 extern int parse_filter(const struct option *opt, const char *str, int unset);
 
@@ -74,10 +76,17 @@ struct parse_events_term {
 	bool used;
 };
 
+struct parse_events_error {
+	int   idx;	/* index in the parsed string */
+	char *str;      /* string to display at the index */
+	char *help;	/* optional help string */
+};
+
 struct parse_events_evlist {
-	struct list_head list;
-	int idx;
-	int nr_groups;
+	struct list_head	   list;
+	int			   idx;
+	int			   nr_groups;
+	struct parse_events_error *error;
 };
 
 struct parse_events_terms {
@@ -114,6 +123,8 @@ void parse_events__set_leader(char *name, struct list_head *list);
 void parse_events_update_lists(struct list_head *list_event,
 			       struct list_head *list_all);
 void parse_events_error(void *data, void *scanner, char const *msg);
+void parse_events_evlist_error(struct parse_events_evlist *data,
+			       int idx, const char *str);
 
 void print_events(const char *event_glob, bool name_only);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/record.c b/tools/perf/util/record.c
index 0ccfa498f7b846b5f73d2a4a31a34a0fdc5e8ff4..d457c523a33d8bb7d00669dbd09e589eecf6de4b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/record.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ static int perf_do_probe_api(setup_probe_fn_t fn, int cpu, const char *str)
 	if (!evlist)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (parse_events(evlist, str))
+	if (parse_events(evlist, str, NULL))
 		goto out_delete;
 
 	evsel = perf_evlist__first(evlist);
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ bool perf_evlist__can_select_event(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str)
 	if (!temp_evlist)
 		return false;
 
-	err = parse_events(temp_evlist, str);
+	err = parse_events(temp_evlist, str, NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out_delete;