diff --git a/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs b/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs
index 03391e4fa6..aa996aaed3 100644
--- a/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs
+++ b/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs
@@ -1003,6 +1003,78 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns a [`SpanRef`] for the parent span of the given [`Event`], if
+    /// it has a parent.
+    ///
+    /// If the event has an explicitly overridden parent, this method returns
+    /// a reference to that span. If the event's parent is the current span,
+    /// this returns a reference to the current span, if there is one. If this
+    /// returns `None`, then either the event's parent was explicitly set to
+    /// `None`, or the event's parent was defined contextually, but no span
+    /// is currently entered.
+    ///
+    /// Compared to [`Context::current_span`] and [`Context::lookup_current`],
+    /// this respects overrides provided by the [`Event`].
+    ///
+    /// Compared to [`Event::parent`], this automatically falls back to the contextual
+    /// span, if required.
+    ///
+    /// ```rust
+    /// use tracing::{Event, Subscriber};
+    /// use tracing_subscriber::{
+    ///     layer::{Context, Layer},
+    ///     prelude::*,
+    ///     registry::LookupSpan,
+    /// };
+    ///
+    /// struct PrintingLayer;
+    /// impl<S> Layer<S> for PrintingLayer
+    /// where
+    ///     S: Subscriber + for<'lookup> LookupSpan<'lookup>,
+    /// {
+    ///     fn on_event(&self, event: &Event, ctx: Context<S>) {
+    ///         let span = ctx.event_span(event);
+    ///         println!("Event in span: {:?}", span.map(|s| s.name()));
+    ///     }
+    /// }
+    ///
+    /// tracing::subscriber::with_default(tracing_subscriber::registry().with(PrintingLayer), || {
+    ///     tracing::info!("no span");
+    ///     // Prints: Event in span: None
+    ///
+    ///     let span = tracing::info_span!("span");
+    ///     tracing::info!(parent: &span, "explicitly specified");
+    ///     // Prints: Event in span: Some("span")
+    ///
+    ///     let _guard = span.enter();
+    ///     tracing::info!("contextual span");
+    ///     // Prints: Event in span: Some("span")
+    /// });
+    /// ```
+    ///
+    /// <div class="example-wrap" style="display:inline-block">
+    /// <pre class="ignore" style="white-space:normal;font:inherit;">
+    /// <strong>Note</strong>: This requires the wrapped subscriber to implement the
+    /// <a href="../registry/trait.LookupSpan.html"><code>LookupSpan</code></a> trait.
+    /// See the documentation on <a href="./struct.Context.html"><code>Context</code>'s
+    /// declaration</a> for details.
+    /// </pre></div>
+    #[inline]
+    #[cfg(feature = "registry")]
+    #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "registry")))]
+    pub fn event_span(&self, event: &Event<'_>) -> Option<SpanRef<'_, S>>
+    where
+        S: for<'lookup> LookupSpan<'lookup>,
+    {
+        if event.is_root() {
+            None
+        } else if event.is_contextual() {
+            self.lookup_current()
+        } else {
+            event.parent().and_then(|id| self.span(id))
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Returns metadata for the span with the given `id`, if it exists.
     ///
     /// If this returns `None`, then no span exists for that ID (either it has
@@ -1165,6 +1237,36 @@ where
     {
         Some(self.span(id)?.scope())
     }
+
+    /// Returns an iterator over the [stored data] for all the spans in the
+    /// current context, starting with the parent span of the specified event,
+    /// and ending with the root of the trace tree and ending with the current span.
+    ///
+    /// <div class="example-wrap" style="display:inline-block">
+    /// <pre class="ignore" style="white-space:normal;font:inherit;">
+    /// <strong>Note</strong>: Compared to <a href="#method.scope"><code>scope</code></a> this
+    /// returns the spans in reverse order (from leaf to root). Use
+    /// <a href="../registry/struct.Scope.html#method.from_root"><code>Scope::from_root</code></a>
+    /// in case root-to-leaf ordering is desired.
+    /// </pre></div>
+    ///
+    /// <div class="example-wrap" style="display:inline-block">
+    /// <pre class="ignore" style="white-space:normal;font:inherit;">
+    /// <strong>Note</strong>: This requires the wrapped subscriber to implement the
+    /// <a href="../registry/trait.LookupSpan.html"><code>LookupSpan</code></a> trait.
+    /// See the documentation on <a href="./struct.Context.html"><code>Context</code>'s
+    /// declaration</a> for details.
+    /// </pre></div>
+    ///
+    /// [stored data]: ../registry/struct.SpanRef.html
+    #[cfg(feature = "registry")]
+    #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "registry")))]
+    pub fn event_scope(&self, event: &Event<'_>) -> Option<registry::Scope<'_, S>>
+    where
+        S: for<'lookup> registry::LookupSpan<'lookup>,
+    {
+        Some(self.event_span(event)?.scope())
+    }
 }
 
 impl<'a, S> Context<'a, S> {
@@ -1194,6 +1296,8 @@ impl Identity {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 pub(crate) mod tests {
+    use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
     use super::*;
 
     pub(crate) struct NopSubscriber;
@@ -1308,4 +1412,41 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
             <dyn Subscriber>::downcast_ref::<StringLayer3>(&s).expect("layer 3 should downcast");
         assert_eq!(&layer.0, "layer_3");
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn context_event_span() {
+        let last_event_span = Arc::new(Mutex::new(None));
+
+        struct RecordingLayer {
+            last_event_span: Arc<Mutex<Option<&'static str>>>,
+        }
+
+        impl<S> Layer<S> for RecordingLayer
+        where
+            S: Subscriber + for<'lookup> LookupSpan<'lookup>,
+        {
+            fn on_event(&self, event: &Event<'_>, ctx: Context<'_, S>) {
+                let span = ctx.event_span(event);
+                *self.last_event_span.lock().unwrap() = span.map(|s| s.name());
+            }
+        }
+
+        tracing::subscriber::with_default(
+            crate::registry().with(RecordingLayer {
+                last_event_span: last_event_span.clone(),
+            }),
+            || {
+                tracing::info!("no span");
+                assert_eq!(*last_event_span.lock().unwrap(), None);
+
+                let parent = tracing::info_span!("explicit");
+                tracing::info!(parent: &parent, "explicit span");
+                assert_eq!(*last_event_span.lock().unwrap(), Some("explicit"));
+
+                let _guard = tracing::info_span!("contextual").entered();
+                tracing::info!("contextual span");
+                assert_eq!(*last_event_span.lock().unwrap(), Some("contextual"));
+            },
+        );
+    }
 }