Event simulation for the Large Hadron Collider

Tests of the Standard Model and searches for new phenomena at the Large Hadron Collider depend heavily on computer simulations of signal and background processes. Monte Carlo event generators aim to simulate the final states of high-energy collisions in full detail, down to the level of individual stable particles. The talk will review the physics behind these programs, their main ingredients and theoretical status, with emphasis on recent work to improve their precision. Comparisons with LHC data will include the latest results on the Higgs boson candidate.