diff --git a/src/ical_util.rs b/src/ical_util.rs
index 8c478ef..36a86e4 100644
--- a/src/ical_util.rs
+++ b/src/ical_util.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ pub fn ical_event_to_string(event: &IcalEvent) -> String {
     properties_to_string(&event.properties)
 }
 
+pub fn unescape_string(input: &str) -> String {
+    input
+        .replace("\\n", "\n")
+        .replace("\\r", "\r")
+        .replace("\\t", "\t")
+        .replace("\\,", ",")
+        .replace("\\'", "'")
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/src/meeters_ical.rs b/src/meeters_ical.rs
index 69741c4..ed47e00 100644
--- a/src/meeters_ical.rs
+++ b/src/meeters_ical.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::custom_timezone::CustomTz;
+use crate::ical_util::unescape_string;
 use crate::timezones::parse_ical_timezones;
 use crate::timezones::parse_tzid;
 use chrono::prelude::*;
@@ -70,9 +71,9 @@ fn extract_ical_datetime(
     if prop.params.is_some() && find_param(prop.params.as_ref().unwrap(), "TZID").is_some() {
         // timestamp with an explicit timezone: YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS
         // We are assuming there is only one value in the TZID param
-        let tzid = &find_param(prop.params.as_ref().unwrap(), "TZID").unwrap()[0];
+        let tzid = unescape_string(&find_param(prop.params.as_ref().unwrap(), "TZID").unwrap()[0]);
         // println!("We have a TZID: {}", tzid);
-        match parse_tzid(tzid, calendar_timezones) {
+        match parse_tzid(&tzid, calendar_timezones) {
             Ok(timezone) => parse_ical_datetime(date_time_str, &timezone, local_tz),
             // in case we can't parse the timezone ID we just default to local, also not optimal
             Err(_) => {
@@ -183,29 +184,20 @@ fn parse_zoom_url(text: &str) -> Option<String> {
         .map(|mat| mat.as_str().to_string())
 }
 
-fn sanitise_string(input: &str) -> String {
-    input
-        .replace("\\n", "\n")
-        .replace("\\r", "\r")
-        .replace("\\t", "\t")
-        .replace("\\,", ",")
-        .replace("\\'", "'")
-}
-
 // See https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5545#section-3.6.1
 fn parse_event(
     ical_event: &IcalEvent,
     calendar_timezones: &HashMap<String, CustomTz>,
     local_tz: &Tz,
 ) -> Result<Event, CalendarError> {
-    let summary = sanitise_string(
+    let summary = unescape_string(
         &find_property_value(&ical_event.properties, "SUMMARY").unwrap_or_else(|| "".to_string()),
     );
-    let description = sanitise_string(
+    let description = unescape_string(
         &find_property_value(&ical_event.properties, "DESCRIPTION")
             .unwrap_or_else(|| "".to_string()),
     );
-    let location = sanitise_string(
+    let location = unescape_string(
         &find_property_value(&ical_event.properties, "LOCATION").unwrap_or_else(|| "".to_string()),
     );
     // println!("Parsing event '{}'", summary);
@@ -288,7 +280,8 @@ fn parse_occurrences(
         .as_ref()
         .and_then(|params| find_param(params, "TZID"));
     let maybe_original_tz = if let Some(tzid_param) = maybe_tzid_param {
-        match parse_tzid(&tzid_param[0], custom_timezones) {
+        let unescaped_tzid = unescape_string(&tzid_param[0]);
+        match parse_tzid(&unescaped_tzid, custom_timezones) {
             Ok(original_tz) => Some(original_tz),
             Err(e) => {
                 return Err(CalendarError {
@@ -600,6 +593,7 @@ pub fn extract_events(text: &str, local_tz: &Tz) -> Result<Vec<Event>, CalendarE
     match parse_calendar(text)? {
         Some(calendar) => {
             let calendar_timezones = parse_ical_timezones(&calendar, local_tz)?;
+            //println!("Calendar timezones found: {:?}", calendar_timezones);
             let event_tuples = parse_events(calendar, &calendar_timezones, local_tz)?;
             // Events are either normal events (potentially recurring) or they are modifying events
             // that defines exceptions to recurrences of other events. We need to split these types out
diff --git a/src/timezones.rs b/src/timezones.rs
index 0566c18..d50688a 100644
--- a/src/timezones.rs
+++ b/src/timezones.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use crate::custom_timezone::FixedTimespanSet;
 use crate::ical_util::find_property;
 use crate::ical_util::find_property_value;
 use crate::ical_util::properties_to_string;
+use crate::ical_util::unescape_string;
 use crate::CalendarError;
 use chrono::prelude::*;
 use chrono::DateTime;
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ pub fn parse_tzid<'a>(
     tzid: &str,
     custom_timezones: &'a HashMap<String, CustomTz>,
 ) -> Result<Either<Tz, &'a CustomTz>, String> {
+    //println!("Parsing tzid: {}", tzid);
     match custom_timezones.get(tzid) {
         Some(tz) => Ok(Right(tz)),
         None => Ok(Left(parse_standard_tz(tzid)?)),
@@ -91,8 +93,10 @@ fn parse_ical_timezone(
 ) -> Result<(String, CustomTz), CalendarError> {
     match find_property_value(&vtimezone.properties, "TZID") {
         Some(name) => {
+            // All string values in the icalendar are escaped so we need to unescape them
+            let unescaped_name = unescape_string(&name.to_string());
             let timezone = CustomTz {
-                name: name.to_string(),
+                name: unescaped_name.clone(),
                 timespanset: parse_timespansets(vtimezone, local_tz)?, // pass on the error
             };
             println!(
@@ -100,7 +104,7 @@ fn parse_ical_timezone(
                 timezone.name,
                 timezone.timespanset.rest.len()
             );
-            Ok((name, timezone))
+            Ok((unescaped_name, timezone))
         }
         None => Err(CalendarError {
             msg: "Expecting TZID property for custom timezone".to_string(),