Event dates and times
Dates are the most important data an event carries. They decide ordering, filtering, calendar placement, and whether registration is still open.
The two fields
In the Date & Time tab of Events settings:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Event start date & time | When the event begins. The time is optional. |
| Event end date & time | When it finishes. The time is optional. |
Both accept a date with an optional time, as the field descriptions state.
Always set the end date
An end date is not decoration. It is what:
- removes the event from upcoming lists once it has passed;
- switches the registration button to its finished label;
- defines the range the search form's date picker matches;
- gives the calendar an entry that ends.
A single-day event should have the same date in both fields. An event with no end date will behave unpredictably in lists and in the registration button state.
The site timezone
Dates and times are interpreted and displayed in the site's timezone, set under Settings → General.
Set it correctly before creating events. Changing it afterwards changes how every existing event reads, and there is no per-event timezone.
For an event in another city, put the local time in the content or the introduction — 18:00 local time (Lisbon) — rather than trying to shift the stored value.
What the dates drive
Ordering. Lists and previous/next navigation are ordered by the start date, ascending — not by publication date. An event published today for next March appears after an event happening next week.
Upcoming filtering. The default event list shows events whose end date is today or later. A finished event drops out on its own; nothing has to be unpublished.
The date picker. Choosing a date in the search form returns events that are running on that date — those that started on or before it and end on or after it. A three-day event is therefore found on all three days.
The calendar. Entries are placed from the start and end datetimes.
The registration button. Once the end datetime has passed, the button shows the finished label and is disabled.
Times
The time is optional in both fields. Leaving it out gives you a date-only event.
Whether the time is shown depends on the Date format choice for that event — the site's default date format does not include a time. To print the time, choose the format that includes it. See Date display formats.
So there are two independent questions: whether a time is stored, and whether it is printed.
Multi-day events
Set the start and end to the first and last day. The event then:
- appears once in lists, showing both dates;
- is found by the date picker on any day in the range;
- stays in upcoming lists until the final day has passed.
The single-event page prints both dates; when they are identical, only one is shown.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Effect |
|---|---|
| No end date | The event never leaves upcoming lists and the button state is unreliable |
| End date before start date | Ordering and filtering produce nonsense |
| The date typed into the title instead of the fields | Nothing sorts, filters or calendars |
| The wrong site timezone | Every event reads an hour or more off |
| A time stored but a date-only format chosen | The time exists but visitors never see it |
Verify
- Save and open the event signed out.
- Confirm the start and end dates read correctly in the date block and the sidebar.
- Find the event through the search form's date picker on a day it runs.
- Confirm its position in a list relative to other events.
- For a past event, confirm it drops out of upcoming lists and shows the finished button label.