Whether you’re running a blog, a business site, or a community-driven platform, showcasing upcoming events is an effective way to engage your audience. WordPress offers a variety of methods to display events on your website, but some can be complicated, especially if you’re new to web development. Luckily, there are easy ways to display upcoming events without diving deep into code.

In this article, we’ll explore a simple and efficient way to show upcoming events on your WordPress site using plugins and built-in tools.

1. Using Event Plugins

One of the easiest and most popular ways to display upcoming events on WordPress is by using an event management plugin. These plugins come with built-in features like event calendars, ticketing, and event categorization. Here are a few popular plugins you can use:

a. The Events Calendar

The Events Calendar is one of the most popular WordPress plugins for displaying events. It’s simple to set up, and the free version comes with all the basic features you need.

Features:

  • Easy-to-use event calendar
  • Option to add event descriptions, dates, and times
  • Event categories and tags
  • Ability to display events on a calendar or as a list
  • Integrates with Google Maps for event location

How to Use:

  1. Install and activate the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
  2. After activation, you’ll see a new “Events” menu in your WordPress dashboard.
  3. Click on “Add New” to create your first event.
  4. Fill in the event details such as title, description, time, date, and location.
  5. Choose the display format (calendar or list view).
  6. Publish the event, and it will automatically be displayed on your site.

b. Event Organiser

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Another great plugin for managing events is Event Organiser. It offers more advanced features, including recurring events and location management. It’s ideal if you need more control over event organization.

Features:

  • Support for recurring events (daily, weekly, monthly)
  • Event location management
  • Customizable event calendar
  • Integrates with Google Maps
  • WooCommerce integration for selling tickets

How to Use:

  1. Install and activate the plugin from the plugin directory.
  2. After activation, you’ll find a new “Events” section in your dashboard.
  3. Add an event and fill in details like event time, location, and ticket options.
  4. Customize the event calendar display using the plugin’s settings.
  5. Publish and your events will show up on the site.

c. All-in-One Event Calendar

This is another user-friendly plugin for creating and displaying events. The All-in-One Event Calendar comes with a beautiful design and several view options, including a month view, list view, and agenda view.

Features:

  • Color-coded event categories
  • Various view options (Month, List, Day, etc.)
  • Google Maps integration
  • Event filtering and search functionality

How to Use:

  1. Install the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
  2. After activation, go to the “All-in-One Event Calendar” section in the dashboard.
  3. Click “Add Event” and enter the necessary event details.
  4. Choose the display style and publish your event.
  5. The calendar will automatically show on your site.

2. Displaying Upcoming Events in Widgets

Once you’ve added events using one of the above plugins, you can display them in your site’s sidebar or footer using a widget. Most event plugins offer a “Upcoming Events” widget, which you can easily drag and drop into your widget area.

How to Add the Widget:

  1. Go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Look for the “Upcoming Events” widget provided by your event plugin (e.g., The Events Calendar).
  3. Drag the widget to your desired widget area (sidebar, footer, etc.).
  4. Customize the widget settings, such as the number of events to display and the title.
  5. Save your settings, and the upcoming events will appear in your chosen area.

3. Embedding Event Calendars Using Shortcodes

If you’d like to display your event calendar or list of events on specific pages or posts, most event plugins offer shortcodes. These are small snippets of code that you can paste into any page or post.

How to Use Shortcodes:

  1. Go to your page or post where you want the events to appear.
  2. Insert the shortcode for the event plugin. For example:
    • For The Events Calendar, the shortcode might look like: [tribe_events].
  3. Publish the page or post.
  4. Your upcoming events will be displayed on that page.

4. Adding Event Widgets to the Footer or Header

To provide easy access to upcoming events, you can add event widgets to your website’s footer or header. This ensures that users can see events without having to navigate to a specific page.

You can use the plugin’s widget feature (as mentioned above) or manually insert event-related content in the footer or header through the theme’s customization options or by using a custom code widget.

Conclusion

Displaying upcoming events in WordPress is straightforward, even for beginners. Whether you use a plugin like The Events Calendar, Event Organiser, or All-in-One Event Calendar, WordPress makes it simple to add event listings, calendars, and even ticketing systems to your site. By using widgets, shortcodes, or the built-in display settings, you can create an organized and accessible way to showcase upcoming events to your visitors.

FAQ

1. Do I need coding skills to show upcoming events in WordPress?

No, you don’t need coding skills. Using event plugins like The Events Calendar or Event Organiser provides an easy-to-use interface that allows you to manage and display events without any coding.

2. Can I sell tickets through event plugins?

Yes, many event plugins like Event Organiser and The Events Calendar offer integration with WooCommerce, allowing you to sell tickets directly from your website.

3. Can I display events on multiple pages?

Yes, you can display events on multiple pages using shortcodes, widgets, or by adding an event calendar to your navigation menu. Many plugins allow you to place events wherever you want on your site.

4. Are there free event plugins for WordPress?

Yes, plugins like The Events Calendar, Event Organiser, and All-in-One Event Calendar have free versions that offer plenty of features for event management. There are also premium versions with advanced features if needed.

5. Can I show past events as well?

Yes, most event plugins allow you to filter and display past events along with upcoming ones. You can customize your calendar or event list to show events based on date ranges.