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Fixing Date Display Issues in The Events Calendar: A Troubleshooting Guide

45 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → The events calendar

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Why Are My Event Dates Displaying Incorrectly?

If you're using The Events Calendar and notice dates appearing out of order, showing the wrong month, or displaying strange formatting, you're not alone. Date-related issues are among the most common problems reported by users. These problems can manifest in various ways:

  • Events appearing under the wrong month in list or month view
  • Date pickers showing incorrect dates or malfunctioning
  • Multi-day events displaying incomplete date ranges
  • Browser tab titles showing "J" instead of proper dates
  • Events created on the same day not appearing on the homepage
  • Pagination causing dates to get out of sync

Common Causes of Date Display Issues

1. Caching Conflicts

Many date display problems, particularly those involving pagination or events appearing in the wrong month, are caused by caching plugins. SiteGround Optimizer, W3 Total Cache, and other caching solutions can sometimes interfere with how The Events Calendar processes and displays date information.

2. Theme and Plugin Conflicts

CSS rules from your theme or other plugins can conflict with The Events Calendar's styling, causing date pickers to malfunction or dates to display incorrectly. This is especially common with newer FSE (Full Site Editing) themes.

3. Time Zone Configuration

Time zone settings can cause events to appear on the wrong days, especially for events created on the same day. The Events Calendar team recommends using city-based time zones in WordPress settings (Settings > General > Timezone) rather than manual UTC offsets.

4. Date Format Settings

Incorrect date format settings in Events > Settings > Display > Date & Time can cause strange display issues, such as dates showing as "J" instead of the actual day.

5. Custom Tables Migration Issues

After updating from older versions (v5.x.x) to newer versions, some users experience date display problems related to the custom tables migration process.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Solutions

1. Clear All Caches

Start by clearing your browser cache, then clear any caching mechanisms on your site:

  • Clear your browser cache or try viewing in a private/incognito window
  • Purge your caching plugin's cache (if using W3TC, SiteGround Optimizer, etc.)
  • Clear your theme's cache (if using Avada, clear via Avada → Options → Performance)
  • Clear any server-side or object caching

2. Perform a Conflict Test

Temporarily deactivate all plugins except The Events Calendar and switch to a default WordPress theme (Twenty Twenty-Four or Twenty Twenty-One). If the issue resolves, reactivate your plugins and theme one by one to identify the conflict.

Important: Always perform conflict tests on a staging server rather than your live site.

3. Check Time Zone Settings

Verify your time zone settings at Settings > General > Timezone in your WordPress dashboard. The Events Calendar team recommends using city-based time zones rather than manual UTC offsets for best results.

4. Review Date Format Settings

Navigate to Events > Settings > Display > Date & Time and check your date formats. Ensure there are no unusual characters (like a capital "J") that might be causing display issues.

5. Check Custom Tables Status

If you recently updated from an older version, visit Events > Troubleshooting and check:

  • Custom Tables Migration Status
  • Custom Tables Health Check

6. Add Custom CSS for Display Issues

For date picker display problems caused by theme conflicts, try adding this CSS to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS:

.tribe-events-c-top-bar__datepicker {
  display: none !important;
}

7. Configure Caching Plugins Properly

If using W3 Total Cache or similar caching plugins, consult The Events Calendar knowledgebase for recommended configuration settings to ensure compatibility.

When to Seek Additional Help

If none of these solutions resolve your date display issues, you may be experiencing a more complex problem. The community forums at WordPress.org can be a valuable resource where other users and developers may have encountered similar issues.

Remember that date display issues in The Events Calendar are often resolvable through methodical troubleshooting of caching, conflicts, and configuration settings.

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