diff --git a/changelog.d/18963.feature b/changelog.d/18963.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2cb0d579956
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/18963.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add an Admin API to fetch an event by ID.
diff --git a/docs/admin_api/fetch_event.md b/docs/admin_api/fetch_event.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..baf45b8aa79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/admin_api/fetch_event.md
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Fetch Event API
+
+The fetch event API allows admins to fetch an event regardless of their membership in the room it
+originated in.
+
+To use it, you will need to authenticate by providing an `access_token`
+for a server admin: see [Admin API](../usage/administration/admin_api/).
+
+Request:
+```http
+GET /_synapse/admin/v1/fetch_event/<event_id>
+```
+
+The API returns a JSON body like the following:
+
+Response:
+```json
+{
+    "event": {
+        "auth_events": [
+            "$WhLChbYg6atHuFRP7cUd95naUtc8L0f7fqeizlsUVvc",
+            "$9Wj8dt02lrNEWweeq-KjRABUYKba0K9DL2liRvsAdtQ",
+            "$qJxBFxBt8_ODd9b3pgOL_jXP98S_igc1_kizuPSZFi4"
+        ],
+        "content": {
+            "body": "Hey now",
+            "msgtype": "m.text"
+        },
+        "depth": 6,
+        "event_id": "$hJ_kcXbVMcI82JDrbqfUJIHu61tJD86uIFJ_8hNHi7s",
+        "hashes": {
+            "sha256": "LiNw8DtrRVf55EgAH8R42Wz7WCJUqGsPt2We6qZO5Rg"
+        },
+        "origin_server_ts": 799,
+        "prev_events": [
+            "$cnSUrNMnC3Ywh9_W7EquFxYQjC_sT3BAAVzcUVxZq1g"
+        ],
+        "room_id": "!aIhKToCqgPTBloWMpf:test",
+        "sender": "@user:test",
+        "signatures": {
+            "test": {
+                "ed25519:a_lPym": "7mqSDwK1k7rnw34Dd8Fahu0rhPW7jPmcWPRtRDoEN9Yuv+BCM2+Rfdpv2MjxNKy3AYDEBwUwYEuaKMBaEMiKAQ"
+            }
+        },
+        "type": "m.room.message",
+        "unsigned": {
+            "age_ts": 799
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+
diff --git a/synapse/rest/admin/__init__.py b/synapse/rest/admin/__init__.py
index d9a6e99c5d3..0386f8a34b2 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/admin/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/admin/__init__.py
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@
     EventReportDetailRestServlet,
     EventReportsRestServlet,
 )
+from synapse.rest.admin.events import (
+    EventRestServlet,
+)
 from synapse.rest.admin.experimental_features import ExperimentalFeaturesRestServlet
 from synapse.rest.admin.federation import (
     DestinationMembershipRestServlet,
@@ -339,6 +342,7 @@ def register_servlets(hs: "HomeServer", http_server: HttpServer) -> None:
     ExperimentalFeaturesRestServlet(hs).register(http_server)
     SuspendAccountRestServlet(hs).register(http_server)
     ScheduledTasksRestServlet(hs).register(http_server)
+    EventRestServlet(hs).register(http_server)
 
 
 def register_servlets_for_client_rest_resource(
diff --git a/synapse/rest/admin/events.py b/synapse/rest/admin/events.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..61b347f8f44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/synapse/rest/admin/events.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+from http import HTTPStatus
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Tuple
+
+from synapse.api.errors import NotFoundError
+from synapse.events.utils import (
+    SerializeEventConfig,
+    format_event_raw,
+    serialize_event,
+)
+from synapse.http.servlet import RestServlet
+from synapse.http.site import SynapseRequest
+from synapse.rest.admin import admin_patterns
+from synapse.rest.admin._base import assert_user_is_admin
+from synapse.storage.databases.main.events_worker import EventRedactBehaviour
+from synapse.types import JsonDict
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from synapse.server import HomeServer
+
+
+class EventRestServlet(RestServlet):
+    """
+    Get an event that is known to the homeserver.
+    The requester must have administrator access in Synapse.
+
+    GET /_synapse/admin/v1/fetch_event/<event_id>
+    returns:
+        200 OK with event json if the event is known to the homeserver. Otherwise raises
+        a NotFound error.
+
+    Args:
+        event_id: the id of the requested event.
+    Returns:
+        JSON blob of the event
+    """
+
+    PATTERNS = admin_patterns("/fetch_event/(?P<event_id>[^/]*)$")
+
+    def __init__(self, hs: "HomeServer"):
+        self._auth = hs.get_auth()
+        self._store = hs.get_datastores().main
+        self._clock = hs.get_clock()
+
+    async def on_GET(
+        self, request: SynapseRequest, event_id: str
+    ) -> Tuple[int, JsonDict]:
+        requester = await self._auth.get_user_by_req(request)
+        await assert_user_is_admin(self._auth, requester)
+
+        event = await self._store.get_event(
+            event_id,
+            EventRedactBehaviour.as_is,
+            allow_none=True,
+        )
+
+        if event is None:
+            raise NotFoundError("Event not found")
+
+        config = SerializeEventConfig(
+            as_client_event=False,
+            event_format=format_event_raw,
+            requester=requester,
+            only_event_fields=None,
+            include_stripped_room_state=True,
+            include_admin_metadata=True,
+        )
+        res = {"event": serialize_event(event, self._clock.time_msec(), config=config)}
+
+        return HTTPStatus.OK, res
diff --git a/tests/rest/admin/test_event.py b/tests/rest/admin/test_event.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4494804210d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rest/admin/test_event.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+from twisted.internet.testing import MemoryReactor
+
+import synapse.rest.admin
+from synapse.api.errors import Codes
+from synapse.rest.client import login, room
+from synapse.server import HomeServer
+from synapse.util.clock import Clock
+
+from tests import unittest
+
+
+class FetchEventTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
+    servlets = [
+        synapse.rest.admin.register_servlets,
+        login.register_servlets,
+        room.register_servlets,
+    ]
+
+    def prepare(self, reactor: MemoryReactor, clock: Clock, hs: HomeServer) -> None:
+        self.admin_user = self.register_user("admin", "pass", admin=True)
+        self.admin_user_tok = self.login("admin", "pass")
+
+        self.other_user = self.register_user("user", "pass")
+        self.other_user_tok = self.login("user", "pass")
+
+        self.room_id1 = self.helper.create_room_as(
+            self.other_user, tok=self.other_user_tok, is_public=True
+        )
+        resp = self.helper.send(self.room_id1, body="Hey now", tok=self.other_user_tok)
+        self.event_id = resp["event_id"]
+
+    def test_no_auth(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Try to get an event without authentication.
+        """
+        channel = self.make_request(
+            "GET",
+            f"/_synapse/admin/v1/fetch_event/{self.event_id}",
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(401, channel.code, msg=channel.json_body)
+        self.assertEqual(Codes.MISSING_TOKEN, channel.json_body["errcode"])
+
+    def test_requester_is_not_admin(self) -> None:
+        """
+        If the user is not a server admin, an error 403 is returned.
+        """
+
+        channel = self.make_request(
+            "GET",
+            f"/_synapse/admin/v1/fetch_event/{self.event_id}",
+            access_token=self.other_user_tok,
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(403, channel.code, msg=channel.json_body)
+        self.assertEqual(Codes.FORBIDDEN, channel.json_body["errcode"])
+
+    def test_fetch_event(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Test that we can successfully fetch an event
+        """
+        channel = self.make_request(
+            "GET",
+            f"/_synapse/admin/v1/fetch_event/{self.event_id}",
+            access_token=self.admin_user_tok,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(200, channel.code, msg=channel.json_body)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            channel.json_body["event"]["content"],
+            {"body": "Hey now", "msgtype": "m.text"},
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["event"]["event_id"], self.event_id)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["event"]["type"], "m.room.message")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["event"]["sender"], self.other_user)