In January 2020, we released The Events Calendar 5.0 with a substantial redesign of our calendar views. We called the upgraded views “V2”. We supported and maintained both V2 and the pre-5.0 legacy views (“V1”) until August of 2021, when we officially ended support for V1. The time has now come for us to finish the transition. With Events Calendar 6.0, we will fully remove the plugin’s legacy views. 

If you are already using the updated V2 views, this change will not impact your site. However, if you are still using the legacy V1 views, updating to The Events Calendar 6.0 will automatically switch your site to using the updated views. Anyone using V1 should first test this update on a staging site to troubleshoot potential issues.

How do I know if my site is on V1 or V2?

Open the WordPress dashboard and go to Events > Settings > Display. The fourth option on the page is Use updated calendar designs. If that setting is enabled (checked), you are using the V2 views, and this update will not impact your site. If that setting is not enabled (unchecked), you are still on the legacy views.

Do I have to switch to the V2 views?

We strongly recommend that you update and use the V2 views. However, you can choose to stay on V1 by not updating your site to The Events Calendar 6.0. If you decide not to update, please keep in mind the following:

  • You will need to avoid updating The Events Calendar, Events Calendar Pro, and any other of our event or ticketing plugins. Be sure to turn off automatic updates.
  • Because you are no longer updating the plugins, you will not get access to future bug fixes.
  • We cannot provide support for outdated websites, even for premium users. If you run into trouble, we will not be able to help until you update to the latest versions and the V2 views.
  • All new features will require you to use V2. There are currently multiple features that are only available to folks who have already transitioned, including Summary view, subscribe to calendar, recent past events view, and the Event Manager admin.
  • Updates to WordPress, third-party plugins, or your theme may not be compatible with the outdated versions of The Events Calendar. We cannot provide support for these conflicts, as we only maintain compatibility with our latest versions.

Why are you removing the V1 legacy views?

The legacy views were created nearly a decade ago and are weighed down by navigation, performance, security, and code standards inconsistencies. It became more difficult for us to maintain and prevented us from adding the new features customers wanted. Furthermore, the changes we did make were more likely to inadvertently cause issues for users, particularly folks who had customized their site.

The new V2 views are not just a redesign; they’re a whole new foundation. This new codebase adheres to higher coding standards. It has improved performance, security, and customizability. The templates are smaller and more manageable and feature more filters, actions, and granular control.

TL;DR – The V1 views have outgrown their usefulness, and keeping them prevented us from maintaining and improving The Events Calendar and our other plugins.

Will you still support the V1 views?

We ended support for the legacy views on August 3, 2021. We are no longer fixing bugs related to V1, and our support team cannot assist V1 users unless they are willing to switch to the upgraded views.

If there is a security vulnerability discovered in the future, we will release security patches for old versions of the plugins going back three years. However, no other updates or fixes will be released for sites using the legacy views. 

How are the V2 views different from V1?

The most significant difference between the versions is the design and styles. This is most noticeable in the calendar views themselves, but there are also improvements to single event pages, widgets, and Filter Bar. Check out our demo site for a great example of the updated V2 designs.

But the differences are more than just visual. Many changes in the V2 views improve functionality and customizability across your site. This includes:

  • More Customizer options
  • More filters & actions
  • Better control over CSS & template modifications
  • Improved reliability & caching
  • More consistent permalinks for better SEO
  • Faster loading

You can read more about these improvements in the original Release Notes for The Events Calendar 5.0.

Lastly, there are new features that are only available if you are using the updated V2 views. These include Summary view, subscribe to calendar, recent past events view, and the Event Manager admin.

I have customized the V1 views. How will this update impact my site(s)?

The upgraded calendar views have an entirely new set of templates. If you have customized the legacy view templates, those customizations won’t apply to your site once you switch to the new views. Similarly, if you’ve used the WordPress Customizer to style the legacy views, those settings will not carry over–there’s a whole new set of Customizer options for V2.

The best way to see how the update will impact your site is to create a staging site and test with the upgraded views. We’ve written a step-by-step guide detailing how to test and prepare your live site.

How can I test the V2 views on my site?

You can–and should–test the upgraded views on a staging site. We’ve written a step-by-step guide detailing how to test and prepare your live site. We’ve also released a beta version of the 6.0 release for folks who want to do comprehensive testing.

How can I customize the V2 views?

You can adjust the colors, fonts, and other aspects of the calendar using the WordPress Customizer or by adding one of our compatible free extensions.

If you’re confident working with some code, we’ve got plenty of articles and documentation to help you customize your site. Here are a few links to get you started:

Will you help me switch my site from V1 to V2?

Premium users can open a ticket with our support team to assist in upgrading from legacy to V2 views. However, please note that we are limited to providing resources and helping point you in the right direction if you have extensive customizations. You will need to work through any necessary changes yourself or hire an outside developer to assist you.

I like the style of the legacy views better. Can I update but keep that design?

If there’s a particular aspect of the legacy view styling, your best option is to upgrade to the new views and customize them to look the way you want. That way, you’ll get all the critical improvements provided by the V2 framework. Plus, since the new views are easier to customize, you’ll have more options for making your calendar look just the way you envision.