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Fixing The Events Calendar Translation Issues: A Comprehensive Troubleshooting Guide

50 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → The events calendar

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If you're using The Events Calendar on a multilingual WordPress site, you might have encountered translation problems. These can range from specific words like "Free" not translating to entire calendar views reverting to English. Based on community reports, this guide covers the most common translation issues and their solutions.

Common Translation Issues

Users frequently report several types of problems:

  • Specific strings (e.g., "Free," "List," "Month") not translating despite being correct in .po/.mo files.
  • The entire calendar interface loading in English instead of the site's language.
  • PHP warnings like "Undefined array key" for day names when using plugins like Polylang.
  • Pagination breaking when the word "page" is translated in the URL (e.g., /pagină/2/ instead of /page/2/).
  • Translation inconsistencies after updating The Events Calendar or WordPress itself.

Why These Issues Happen

Translation problems often stem from a few key areas:

  1. Plugin Conflicts: Multilingual plugins like Polylang may not have full, official compatibility with The Events Calendar, leading to unexpected behavior.
  2. Translation File Location: WordPress can look for translation files in multiple locations. Using the wrong location can cause translations to be ignored.
  3. Caching: Old translation data might be cached by WordPress, your theme, or a caching plugin.
  4. WordPress Updates: Updates to WordPress core (notably version 6.8) have been linked to translation issues where plugin files are bypassed.
  5. Incomplete Translations: Some languages may have incomplete translation sets in the official repository, missing key strings.

How to Fix The Events Calendar Translation Issues

1. Use the Correct Translation File Location

The most reliable method is to place the translation files in the system language directory. Follow these steps using the Loco Translate plugin or manually:

  1. Obtain the correct .mo file for your language. You can download it from the official WordPress translation project.
  2. Place the file in the following directory:
    wp-content/languages/plugins/
  3. The file must be named exactly:
    the-events-calendar-[language_CODE].mo
    For example, for German: the-events-calendar-de_DE.mo
  4. If you were using files in the plugin's own lang folder (wp-content/plugins/the-events-calendar/lang/), remove them to avoid conflicts.

2. Sync and Review Translations in Loco Translate

If you use Loco Translate to manage translations:

  1. Navigate to Loco Translate → Plugins → The Events Calendar.
  2. Click on your language (e.g., "German").
  3. Click the Sync button. This ensures you have the most up-to-date list of strings from the plugin.
  4. Use the search function to find specific strings that aren't translating (e.g., "Free") and verify the translation is present and correct.
  5. Save your changes.

3. Clear All Caches

After updating translation files, clear all possible caches:

  • Your WordPress caching plugin (e.g., W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket).
  • Your browser cache.
  • Server-level cache (if applicable, like Varnish).
  • Finally, resave your WordPress permalinks by going to Settings → Permalinks and clicking "Save Changes."

4. Check for Known Conflicts

Some issues have specific workarounds:

  • Polylang & "Undefined array key" Warnings: This is a known conflict. A potential workaround is to set your site's default language in Settings → General to the desired language instead of relying solely on Polylang.
  • Pagination Issues (e.g., Romanian): If the translated word for "page" (e.g., "pagină") breaks pagination, you must edit the translation for that specific string. In Loco Translate, find the context The “/page/” URL string component and set its translation to page instead of the translated word.
  • Elementor Templates: Creating a single-event template in Elementor can sometimes override the plugin's translation functions. If translations break after applying an Elementor template, you may need to re-add the translatable strings within the Elementor template itself.

5. Contribute to Translations

If you discover missing translations for your language, you can help the community by contributing. Visit the The Events Calendar translation project on WordPress.org to suggest translations for missing strings. Approved translations are bundled with the plugin for everyone to use.

When to Seek Further Help

If you've tried all the steps above and your translation issue persists, your best course of action is to create a detailed thread on the Word.org support forum. Be sure to include:

  • The language you are using.
  • The versions of WordPress, The Events Calendar, and your multilingual plugin.
  • The exact strings or parts of the interface that are not translating.
  • The steps you have already tried.

By providing this information, you help others in the community identify and confirm bugs, leading to faster resolutions for everyone.

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