Do you want to add more event content to your event calendar pages or single event pages?
Well, you can do this by adding widget areas in The Events Calendar. Widget areas are designated spaces on WordPress pages where you can place your additional content such as event lists, announcements, CTAs, etc.
WordPress themes provide default widget areas such as sidebars and footers. However, these widget areas are controlled by the theme and provide limited placement options.
So, if you want to place widgets at specific locations around the calendar, you need template customization that requires coding.
To overcome these limitations, you can use the Calendar Widget Areas extension for The Events Calendar. It allows you to add dedicated widget areas around the calendar and single-event pages, which you can then manage like regular WordPress widget areas.
In this guide, you’ll understand the functionality of the Calendar Widget Areas extension and the best use case of each widget area.
What is Calendar Widget Areas?
Calendar Widget Areas is a powerful extension for The Events Calendar designed to add widget areas at strategic locations on calendar pages and single-event pages.
With this extension, you can customize event calendars and place event-related widgets, ads, text, or other content where the theme’s normal sidebar/widget areas do not appear.
The extension provides you with widget areas ( or sidebars) for the following:
- Event calendar main page (listing page and calendar views)
- Single event pages
Adding Calendar Widget Areas
Follow the steps below to add new widget areas in your event calendars:
- Firstly, make sure to install and activate the following plugin and extension:
- After activating the extension, you will find new TEC widgets by navigating to WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Widgets.
- Here you will find the following new TEC Widget areas:
- TEC Above Calendar: Add the widget area above The Events Calendar’s main page and single event page.
- TEC Below Calendar: Add the widget area below The Events Calendar’s main page and single event page.
- TEC Single: Top: Add the widget area above single event pages.
- TEC Single: Above Description: Add the widget area above the description on single event pages.
- TEC Single: Below Description: Add the widget area below the description on single event pages.
- TEC Single: Above Details: Add the widget area above the event details on single event pages.
- TEC Single: Below Details (Before): Add the widget area below the event details and before related events and tickets on single event pages.
- TEC Single: Below Details (After): Add the widget area below the event details and after related events and tickets on single event pages.
- TEC Single: Bottom: Add the widget area at the bottom of single event pages.
Overall, TEC Above Calendar and TEC Below Calendar can be used on the main event listing/calendar pages as well as single event pages, while the remaining widget areas are specifically designed for different sections of single event pages.
These widget areas are added to the WordPress customizer along with your other widgets. However, the Customizer only shows TEC widget areas that are available on the page you are currently previewing:
- Regular Posts or Pages: TEC widget areas won’t appear because they are only available on event pages.
- Events Archive pages: You’ll see widget areas for the main event views, but not the TEC Single widget areas.
- Single Event pages: You’ll see the TEC Single widget areas because they are designed for individual event pages.
Here is the location of each widget area in your Events Calendar page and Single Event page:
Best Use Cases of TEC Widget Areas
Now, let’s understand the best use case of each of the calendar widget areas:
| Widget area | Best use cases |
| TEC Above Calendar | Add an introduction, announcement, promotional banner, event search, or important notice before visitors browse events. |
| TEC Below Calendar | Add a newsletter signup, event submission CTA, additional information, or links to related event resources after visitors finish browsing. |
| TEC Single: Top | Highlight urgent announcements, registration deadlines, event status, sponsor messages, or important notices. |
| TEC Single: Above Description | Add key information visitors should know before reading the full description, such as eligibility, registration requirements, or event format. |
| TEC Single: Below Description | Add a strong CTA such as Register Now, Get Tickets, or Book Your Spot after visitors understand what the event is about. |
| TEC Single: Above Details | Add instructions or context before visitors see the date, time, venue, organizer, and other details. |
| TEC Single: Below Details (Before) | Use for a prominent CTA, such as registration, ticket purchase, venue directions, or accommodation information. |
| TEC Single: Below Details (After) | Add secondary content such as related resources, social links, newsletter signup, or sponsor information. |
| TEC Single: Bottom | Add follow-up actions such as exploring additional events, subscribing to a newsletter, contacting the organizer, or displaying social media links. |
Disable Calendar Widget Areas
After activating the extension, all of the widget areas will be enabled automatically, but if you want to disable any widget area, you can do this by navigating to WordPress Dashboard > Events > Settings > Display tab > Advanced Template Settings section and unchecking the options you want to be disabled.
So, if you want to make your event pages more informative and user-friendly without any coding, the Calendar Widget Areas extension is a practical solution.
FAQ
What is the Calendar Widget Areas extension?
Calendar Widget Areas adds predefined widget areas to The Events Calendar pages, allowing you to place additional content in specific locations.
Where can I add widget content?
You can add content above or below the main event calendar and in different sections of single event pages, such as above or below the description and event details.
What type of content can I add using widget areas?
You can add announcements, registration reminders, calls to action, newsletter forms, contact information, related resources, and other useful content.
Do I need coding knowledge to use Calendar Widget Areas?
No. The extension provides predefined widget areas, so you can add content through WordPress’s widget management options instead of modifying theme files.
Can I disable a widget area?
Yes you can. To disable a widget area navigating to WordPress Dashboard > Events > Settings > Display tab > Advanced Template Settings section. The widget area will remain available, but no content will appear there until you enable a widget again.
