diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.cpp
index 6adb5311cb5..d2b8e7ba5da 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -26,14 +26,15 @@
 #include "memory/allocation.inline.hpp"
 #include "oops/instanceKlass.hpp"
 #include "oops/symbol.hpp"
-#include "runtime/atomicAccess.hpp"
+#include "runtime/atomic.hpp"
 #include "runtime/javaThread.hpp"
 #include "runtime/mutexLocker.hpp"
 #include "runtime/osThread.hpp"
 #include "runtime/timer.hpp"
 #include "utilities/events.hpp"
 
-EventLog* Events::_logs = nullptr;
+static Atomic<EventLog*> event_logs_list{};
+
 StringEventLog* Events::_messages = nullptr;
 StringEventLog* Events::_memprotect_messages = nullptr;
 StringEventLog* Events::_nmethod_flush_messages = nullptr;
@@ -51,15 +52,15 @@ EventLog::EventLog() {
   // but use lock free add because there are some events that are created later.
   EventLog* old_head;
   do {
-    old_head = AtomicAccess::load(&Events::_logs);
+    old_head = event_logs_list.load_relaxed();
     _next = old_head;
-  } while (AtomicAccess::cmpxchg(&Events::_logs, old_head, this) != old_head);
+  } while (!event_logs_list.compare_set(old_head, this));
 }
 
 // For each registered event logger, print out the current contents of
 // the buffer.
 void Events::print_all(outputStream* out, int max) {
-  EventLog* log = AtomicAccess::load(&Events::_logs);
+  EventLog* log = event_logs_list.load_relaxed();
   while (log != nullptr) {
     log->print_log_on(out, max);
     log = log->next();
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ void Events::print_all(outputStream* out, int max) {
 
 // Print a single event log specified by name.
 void Events::print_one(outputStream* out, const char* log_name, int max) {
-  EventLog* log = AtomicAccess::load(&Events::_logs);
+  EventLog* log = event_logs_list.load_relaxed();
   int num_printed = 0;
   while (log != nullptr) {
     if (log->matches_name_or_handle(log_name)) {
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ void Events::print_one(outputStream* out, const char* log_name, int max) {
   if (num_printed == 0) {
     out->print_cr("The name \"%s\" did not match any known event log. "
                   "Valid event log names are:", log_name);
-    EventLog* log = AtomicAccess::load(&Events::_logs);
+    EventLog* log = event_logs_list.load_relaxed();
     while (log != nullptr) {
       log->print_names(out);
       out->cr();
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.hpp
index cbbed7232fb..0d1c08548ff 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/events.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2024, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -214,10 +214,7 @@ class ExceptionsEventLog : public ExtendedStringEventLog {
 
 
 class Events : AllStatic {
-  friend class EventLog;
-
  private:
-  static EventLog* _logs;
 
   // A log for generic messages that aren't well categorized.
   static StringEventLog* _messages;