diff --git a/src/pretix/base/models/event.py b/src/pretix/base/models/event.py
index b4aa565572..17140ba28d 100644
--- a/src/pretix/base/models/event.py
+++ b/src/pretix/base/models/event.py
@@ -576,7 +576,12 @@ class Event(EventMixin, LoggedModel):
                 | Q(date_to__gte=now())
             )
         )  # order_by doesn't make sense with I18nField
-        return sorted(subevs, key=attrgetter(*orderfields))
+        for f in reversed(orderfields):
+            if f.startswith('-'):
+                subevs = sorted(subevs, key=attrgetter(f[1:]), reverse=True)
+            else:
+                subevs = sorted(subevs, key=attrgetter(f))
+        return subevs
 
     @property
     def meta_data(self):
diff --git a/src/tests/presale/test_event.py b/src/tests/presale/test_event.py
index d3a9c2162e..7b25eb7966 100644
--- a/src/tests/presale/test_event.py
+++ b/src/tests/presale/test_event.py
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ class ItemDisplayTest(EventTestMixin, SoupTest):
         content = self.client.get('/%s/%s/' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug)).rendered_content
         self.assertLess(content.index('Epic SE'), content.index('Cool SE'))
 
+        self.event.settings.frontpage_subevent_ordering = 'date_descending'
+        content = self.client.get('/%s/%s/' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug)).rendered_content
+        self.assertLess(content.index('Cool SE'), content.index('Epic SE'))
+
         self.event.settings.frontpage_subevent_ordering = 'name_ascending'
         content = self.client.get('/%s/%s/' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug)).rendered_content
         self.assertLess(content.index('Cool SE'), content.index('Epic SE'))