The men's eight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place from 25 to 30 July 2021 at the Sea Forest Waterway.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) has been limited to a single boat in the event since 1920.

[4] The competition used the three-round, single-final format used (unexpectedly) in 2016, when the number of teams was reduced from the expected 8 to 7 due to Russia's exclusion in the doping scandal.

There were two heats, with the winner of each advancing directly to the final and the remaining five boats competing in the repechage.

The top four in the repechage also advanced to the final; only the last-place boat was eliminated (with an overall rank of 7th place).