FREE PATTERN CALENDAR · 2026 / 2027
Continental shift pattern calendar.
Continental schedules vary. This page starts with one explicit 28-day day, late and night example, so you can compare every block before generating a year.
CHECK THE CYCLE FIRST
A rotating week.
An understandable year.
The example contains seven day shifts, seven late shifts, seven night shifts and seven off days. Its three sections are seven shifts plus two off, seven shifts plus two off, and seven shifts plus three off. It is an example, not a universal definition of continental working.
D D L L N N N O O D D L L L N N O O D D D L L N N O O O
W work · D day · E early · L late · N night · O off
EXAMPLE CALENDAR
2026, planned.
*Saturday + Sunday both off or on leave, wholly within 2026. These are day counts, not hours.
An example to explore. Confirm your pattern and day 1, then select “Generate my calendar”.
January 2026
Your generated calendar will let you adjust individual dates. Night shifts are marked on their start date.
What about that day?
A quick check for birthdays, appointments or a weekend away. Dates outside the displayed year follow the base pattern.
Plans change.
Add leave or a shift swap without moving the rest of your cycle. Generate your calendar first.
0 date changes in this calendar.
Take it with you.
Choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print dialog. Turn off browser headers and footers for a clean page.
Exports cover all of 2026, including your date changes. ICS uses all-day markers, with no alarms or exact shift times. Import into a separate calendar; importing again may create duplicates.
A little less setup next time.
Save one rota in this browser. It won’t sync to other devices. Clearing site data removes it.
My shift calendar · 2026
28-day cycle · Day 1: 2026-01-01 · EXAMPLE
MUSE STUDIO
Cycle: D D L L N N N O O D D L L L N N O O D D D L L N N O O O
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
MAKE IT MATCH YOUR TEAM
A reliable start.
A useful calendar.
- Find the right cycle day 1.
Use the first day shift in the opening two-day block. If your employer calls early shifts D or uses a different sequence, edit the letters and check the whole repeat before exporting.
- Try the worked example.
From 1 January 2026 the first block is day shifts on 1–2, late shifts on 3–4, night starts on 5–7 and off on 8–9 January. The second block starts on 10 January; the full cycle repeats on 29 January.
- Check before sharing.
Compare all three night blocks and each break length. A correct first week does not prove that the remaining 21 days follow your employer’s version. The copy-link action shares the repeat and anchor, not personal leave or date swaps.
Your pattern, explained.
What if my continental rota is 2 early, 2 late, 2 nights, 2 off?
That is an eight-day sequence and has its own prefilled page here. Do not use the 28-day example merely because both are called continental. Match the actual letters and number of days in your repeating cycle.
Can I make a 2027 calendar without restarting my cycle?
Yes. Change Calendar year to 2027 and keep the same cycle day 1 date. The generator counts forward and backward from that anchor, so New Year does not restart the pattern. Any year from 2020 to 2040 is supported; 2026 is preselected on this page.
How do I print or share this calendar?
Set your pattern and start date, then choose Generate my calendar. Use Print / save as PDF for an A4 or US Letter calendar, CSV for a spreadsheet, or ICS for all-day labels in a calendar app. Copy crew link gives colleagues the same repeating pattern. It is a snapshot, not a live rota; personal leave and swaps are excluded.
Does this replace my employer’s rota?
No. This repeats the sequence you enter and does not receive staffing changes, calculate hours or verify rest requirements. Compare the result with your employer’s official rota before making plans. Night labels mark the starting date only.
A DIFFERENT REPEAT?
Start with the right pattern.
THE REST OF YOUR WEEK
Dates here.
More detail in Shift & Life.
The optional planner bundle adds hours, estimated pay and personal plans in spreadsheet, fillable PDF and Notion formats. You can use this calendar without buying anything.