You can search for and add holiday calendars and calendars from schools, sports teams, TV and TeamSnap without leaving Outlook.com. See Add a calendar in Outlook.com.

If the calendar you want isn't available from within Outlook.com, you can import events from an .ics file to your existing calendar or subscribe to a calendar online and receive automatic updates (known as an ICS subscription or an iCal subscription). You can import calendars from websites or calendar programs that support the .ics file format, such as Apple iCal, Google Calendar, and Mozilla Lightning.

You can search the Internet for lists of iCals, such as those found at iCalShare.com. Websites for theaters, sports teams, and schools often have an "Add to calendar" link that you can use to download an iCal.

Note: Microsoft isn't responsible for the accuracy or content of any third-party calendars. We recommend that you review the terms and conditions before importing or subscribing to any third-party calendars.

Upload a calendar from a file

Note:When you import an .ics file, your calendar doesn't refresh the imported events, even if the calendar's owner makes an update.

  1. Locate the calendar you want to add and save it to your computer as an .ics file.

  2. Sign in to Outlook.com.

  3. At the bottom of the page, select Calendar.

  4. In the navigation pane, select Add calendar.

  5. Select Upload from file.

    Upload from file

  6. Select Browse, choose the .ics file you want to upload, and then select Open.

  7. Select the calendar that you want the file imported to, and then select Import.

Subscribe to a calendar

Note:When you subscribe to a calendar, your calendar will automatically refresh if the other calendar is updated. This can sometimes take more than 24 hours.

  1. Sign in to Outlook.com.

  2. At the bottom of the page, select Calendar.

  3. In the navigation pane, select Add calendar.

  4. Select Subscribe from web.

    Subscribe to a calendar

  5. Enter the URL for the calendar.

  6. Select Import.

What to do if you don't see Add calendar

If you've collapsed the navigation pane next to the calendar, you'll have to expand it to reach the Add calendar feature.

To expand the navigation pane, select the icon Icon to expand or collapse the left pane at the top of the calendar.

Screenshot showing icon to expand or collapse left pane.

The difference between importing and subscribing to a calendar

When you import an .ics file, you get a snapshot of the events in the calendar at the time of import. Your calendar doesn't refresh the imported events automatically -- even if the calendar's owner makes an update. This is a good way to add events to your existing calendar that aren't going to change, like tide tables or phases of the moon.

Subscribing to an online calendar connects it to your calendar. Whenever the owner of a calendar you've subscribed to makes changes to the events, Outlook.com updates your calendar. This is a good way to track events that change frequently, like movie times or a school calendar.

Note:This update can take more than 24 hours, although updates should happen approximately every 3 hours.

Still need help?

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See Also

Add a holiday or birthday calendar in Outlook.com

Create, modify, or delete a meeting request or appointment in Outlook.com

Search your Calendar in Outlook.com

Share your calendar in Outlook.com

Print email and calendars in Outlook.com

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