Venues Map displays JEM venues on an interactive map. Unlike Events Map, which focuses on events happening at venues, Venues Map focuses on the venues themselves. It is useful for venue directories, cultural networks, location discovery pages and maps where visitors first choose a place and then open its venue page or venue calendar.
For a venue to appear on the map, it must have valid latitude and longitude values. Address fields are useful for visitors, but coordinates determine the precise marker position.
Marker icons from JEM 5.0.1: Venues Map uses the icon assigned to the venue type when one is available. If the venue type has no icon, JEM uses the configured global venue marker.
Venues Map Compared With Events Map
| View | Main focus | Marker icon priority | Best used for |
|---|
| Venues Map |
Venues with coordinates. |
Venue type → Global venue marker |
Venue discovery, venue directories and venue calendar navigation. |
| Events Map |
Events assigned to venues with coordinates. |
Event type → Category type → Venue type → Global venue marker |
Finding events by date, category, country and location. |
When To Use This View
| Scenario | Recommended setup | Reason |
|---|
| Venue directory map |
Enable country filter and show all geocoded venues. |
Visitors can browse locations visually. |
| Museum or cultural network |
Assign venue types, type icons and high-quality venue images. |
Icons help visitors distinguish different kinds of locations. |
| Single-country site |
Set a default country and disable unnecessary country browsing. |
Keeps the map focused. |
| Large international site |
Enable country and city filters. |
Prevents users from navigating a very large marker set manually. |
| Venue calendar navigation |
Use marker popups and the venue calendar link. |
Visitors can move from a place to its event schedule. |
Data Requirements
| Venue data | Needed for | Recommendation |
|---|
| Venue name |
Marker popup and venue link. |
Use the official or recognisable place name. |
| Latitude |
Marker placement. |
Use decimal GPS coordinates. |
| Longitude |
Marker placement. |
Use decimal GPS coordinates. |
| City |
City filter and venue list below the map. |
Keep city names consistent. |
| Country |
Country filter and country display. |
Use the JEM country selector instead of free text where possible. |
| Published state and access |
Frontend visibility. |
Only published and accessible venues are shown to visitors. |
| Venue type icon |
Custom venue marker. |
Optional. Assign an icon to the venue type when venues of that type need a recognisable marker. |
| Venue or venue type colour |
Type-marker background. |
The venue colour has priority over the venue type colour. |
Map Options
| Option | Default | Purpose |
|---|
| Auto center map |
Yes |
Centers the map using the available venue markers. |
| Map center latitude |
54.526 |
Fallback latitude when auto-centering is disabled or no marker is available. |
| Map center longitude |
15.255 |
Fallback longitude when auto-centering is disabled or no marker is available. |
| Map zoom |
4 |
Initial zoom level. Valid values range from 0 to 19. |
| Map provider |
OpenStreetMap |
Selects OpenStreetMap/Leaflet or Google Maps. Google Maps requires a valid API key in JEM settings. |
| Map type |
Political |
Chooses the base map style, such as political or physical. |
| Show my location |
Yes |
Allows visitors to show their current browser location. |
| Venue marker file |
media/com_jem/images/marker-red.webp |
Fallback marker image used only when the venue type does not provide an icon. |
| My location marker file |
media/com_jem/images/marker-blue.webp |
Marker image used only for the visitor’s current location. |
| Full screen map |
Yes |
Allows the map to be expanded when supported by the layout. |
| Show directions link |
Yes |
Shows a navigation link in each venue popup. |
| Show full map link |
Yes |
Shows a link that opens the venue coordinates in the full external map. |
| Show venue image |
Yes |
Displays the venue image in the venue list or card output where supported. |
| Show venue description |
Yes |
Displays the venue description where supported by the selected layout and global settings. |
| Venue order |
Name ascending |
Orders venues by ID, name or configured ordering in ascending or descending direction. |
| Map height |
500px |
Controls the visible height of the map container. |
| Heat layer |
Yes |
Shows density when many venues are available. |
Country, City And Category Filters
Venues Map can filter by country, city and category. The category filter is event-aware: it can show venues connected to events in selected categories.
Category filter and marker icons: a category filter changes which venues are shown, but it does not change a venue marker into a category marker. Because each point represents a venue, its icon priority remains venue type icon → configured global venue marker.
| Filter | Default | Behaviour |
|---|
| Show Country Filter |
Yes |
Shows a frontend selector with countries that have geocoded venues. |
| Default Country |
None |
Starts the map focused on one country. |
| City Filter |
Available after country selection |
Shows cities belonging to the selected country. |
| Show Category Filter |
No |
Allows visitors to filter venues by event category context. |
| Category IDs |
Empty |
Limits the categories available in the category filter. |
Venue Marker Icon Priority
Venues Map uses the following order:
- Venue type icon
- Configured global venue marker
The configured venue marker is a fallback, not an override. With the default configuration, the fallback is the red marker at media/com_jem/images/marker-red.webp.
Type Marker Colours
When the venue type provides an icon, JEM renders a type marker and chooses its background colour in this order:
- Venue colour, when a valid colour is assigned directly to the venue.
- Venue type colour, when the venue itself has no valid colour.
- Neutral marker colour, when neither value provides a valid colour.
JEM automatically chooses a contrasting icon colour to keep the symbol readable.
Practical Marker Examples
| Configuration | Marker shown |
|---|
| The venue type has an icon and the venue has its own colour. |
The venue type icon with the venue colour as its background. |
| The venue type has an icon and colour, but the venue has no colour. |
The venue type icon with the venue type colour. |
| The venue type has an icon but neither the venue nor type has a valid colour. |
The venue type icon with the neutral marker colour. |
| The venue has a type, but that type has no icon. |
The configured global venue marker. |
| The venue has no assigned type. |
The configured global venue marker. |
| A category filter is active and the matching event category has an icon. |
The venue type icon, or the global venue marker if the venue type has no icon. |
Marker Popups
Each marker represents one venue. The popup normally provides a link to the venue page and may include navigation options or a venue calendar link depending on layout and configuration.
| Popup element | Purpose |
|---|
| Venue type badge |
Identifies the venue type when one is assigned and accessible. |
| Venue name |
Links the visitor to the venue detail page. |
| Country flag or country information |
Gives quick geographic context. |
| Navigate link |
Opens external map navigation using the venue coordinates. |
| Venue calendar link |
Allows visitors to view events hosted at the selected venue. |
Venue List Below The Map
The view can also show a venue list below the map. This makes the page usable when visitors prefer scanning a list rather than interacting with markers.
| Column or action | Purpose |
|---|
| Venue |
Links to the venue detail page. |
| City |
Shows the city stored on the venue. |
| Country |
Shows the venue country name. |
| Calendar |
Links to the venue calendar. |
| Edit |
Shown only when the current user can edit that venue. |
Menu Item Target
The JEM Itemid option controls the menu context used by links generated from the map. This is useful when the site has specific menu items for venue detail or venue calendar pages and requires consistent routing, breadcrumbs and module assignment.
| Configuration | Result |
|---|
| No JEM Itemid selected |
Joomla and JEM resolve links using the available route context. |
| JEM Itemid selected |
Venue and calendar links use the selected menu context where possible. |
Page Text
Venues Map supports page intro and footer text. This is useful for explaining that only venues with coordinates are shown, or for inviting visitors to submit corrections through the Submit Venue form.
| Text area | Default | Position | Example use |
|---|
| Show Introtext |
No |
Controls whether the intro text is displayed. |
Enable it when the page needs instructions before the filters and map. |
| Introtext |
Empty |
Below the page heading and above the filters and map. |
“This map shows published venues with GPS coordinates.” |
| Show Footer text |
No |
Controls whether the footer text is displayed. |
Enable it when the page needs a final note or submission link. |
| Footer text |
Empty |
Below the map and venue list. |
“If a venue is missing, please submit it or contact the site administrator.” |
Recommended Configurations
| Page type | Recommended options | Why |
|---|
| Local venue map |
Auto center on, country filter off or default country set, and higher zoom. |
Best for one city or region. |
| National venue directory |
Default country set, city filter available, and medium zoom. |
Visitors can move from country to city. |
| International directory |
Country and city filters on, lower zoom, and heat layer on. |
Useful for many venues spread across countries. |
| Typed venue network |
Assign meaningful icons and colours to venue types. |
Visitors can distinguish museums, theatres, clubs or outdoor locations at a glance. |
| Category-aware venue map |
Category filter on and limited category list. |
Shows venues connected to selected event programmes without changing venue marker priority. |
| Venue maintenance map |
Use intro text and allow edit permissions for trusted users. |
Editors can identify venues and correct data from the frontend. |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Solution |
|---|
| A venue does not appear on the map. |
The venue has no valid coordinates, is unpublished, or is not accessible. |
Edit the venue and check coordinates, publication state and access level. |
| The venue type icon is not shown. |
The type has no icon, is unpublished, is inaccessible, or is not assigned to the venue. |
Check the venue type assignment, icon field, publication state and access level. |
| The configured venue marker is not shown. |
The venue type has an icon. |
This is expected. The configured venue marker is only used as the fallback. |
| The marker has an unexpected background colour. |
A colour is assigned directly to the venue and overrides the venue type colour. |
Review the venue colour first, followed by the venue type colour. |
| A category icon is not used after filtering by category. |
Venues Map markers represent venues, not categories or events. |
Use a venue type icon, or use Events Map when event and category icon priority is required. |
| The country filter is too long. |
Too many countries are active in JEM settings. |
Disable unused countries in the JEM Countries settings. |
| City filter is empty. |
No country is selected or the selected country has no geocoded venues with city values. |
Select a country or complete city data on venues. |
| The map opens in the wrong area. |
Auto center has no valid markers, or fallback center values are unsuitable. |
Check venue coordinates or set map center latitude, longitude and zoom manually. |
| My location does not work. |
The browser denied geolocation or the site context does not allow it. |
Use HTTPS and ask visitors to allow location access. |
Technical Notes
- Each Venues Map marker represents one venue, so event and category type icons do not participate in its marker priority.
- Venue type icon values are validated as CSS icon classes before they are inserted into a marker.
- Marker colours are validated before rendering, and JEM calculates a contrasting icon colour for readability.
- The same venue type and fallback priority is applied by both the OpenStreetMap/Leaflet and Google Maps renderers.
- Venue and venue type publication and access rules are respected.
Related Project Notes
- #2289 introduces the configured marker fallback and type-icon priority for map markers.
- #2151 discusses country availability and reducing long country selectors.
- #2130 relates to venue links and venue calendar behaviour.
- #2131 relates to generating a complete JEM frontend menu.
- #2154 standardises intro and footer text options across JEM views.
