Fundamentals

Calendar Event QR Codes: vEvent Syntax and Compatibility

Codexengr, QR Systems Engineer

Published 2026-07-29 (Updated 2026-10-05)

5 min read

Peer Reviewed & Fact Checked

1. vEvent Payload

BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Open House
DTSTART:20261105T180000Z
DTEND:20261105T200000Z
LOCATION:Main Hall
END:VEVENT

Times use UTC (Z suffix) or a defined time zone. Some readers expect the block wrapped in BEGIN:VCALENDAR and END:VCALENDAR.

Behavior varies by reader. The most reliable approach is to encode a short link to a hosted .ics file, which both iOS and Android handle well.

Convert times to UTC carefully, keep summary and location short, and test with your own phones.

The time zone was missing or mismatched. Use a UTC timestamp or include a TZID.

Usually, because it keeps the symbol small and is widely supported.

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