Holy Year 2027 in Santiago de Compostela: a practical guide

What the Holy Year is and why 2027

According to the Cathedral, it is a Compostela Holy Year when 25 July, the day of Saint James's martyrdom, falls on a Sunday. This happens in cycles of 11, 6, 5 and 6 years: the last one was 2021 and the next after 2027 will be 2032. The tradition goes back to 1122 under Pope Callixtus II, and Alexander III made it permanent in 1179.

That year the Church grants special spiritual graces to those who make the pilgrimage to the Apostle's tomb. In 2025, an ordinary year, the Pilgrim's Office already issued a record 530,987 Compostelas, and the Galician government expects more visitors in 2027.

The archdiocese has already presented the motto ("When they saw the star, they were overjoyed", from Matthew's Gospel), the hymn ("Un campo cheo de estrelas"), the poster and a pastoral letter from Archbishop Francisco Prieto.

Opening of the Holy Door

The Cathedral's liturgical calendar sets the start of the Holy Year on Thursday 31 December 2026, with the solemn opening of the Holy Door at 17:00 followed by Mass with the Archbishop.

The Holy Door faces Praza da Quintana, where the rite took place in 2021. If you want to see it in person, expect a packed square, cold weather and a long wait: the Cathedral has not yet said how access will be managed.

Once opened, the Holy Door stays open through the Holy Year as a pilgrims' entrance. The date and time of the closing in December 2027 have not been announced yet.

The jubilee: what it is and how to gain it

The jubilee is an indulgence the Church grants in a Holy Year. According to the Cathedral, you gain it by meeting three conditions:

• Visit the Apostle's tomb in the Cathedral and say a prayer (for example the Our Father and the Creed, for the Pope's intentions).
• Go to confession, in the Cathedral or elsewhere, up to 15 days before or after the visit.
• Receive Communion.

You do not need to arrive on foot: the jubilee can be gained whatever way you travel. It is also separate from the Compostela: you can have one without the other.

Visiting the Cathedral: hours and tickets

The Cathedral is free and open daily from 7:00 to 21:00 (closing at 20:30 on Saturdays in summer). Backpacks are not allowed, and you cannot sightsee during services.

Paid visits are run by the Cathedral Museum and sold at visitas.catedraldesantiago.es or at the ticket booths on Praza do Obradoiro:

Paid tickets also cover the museum, Gelmírez Palace, the Portico crypt, MuSar and the Diocesan Museum, that day or the next seven. Reduced: over-65s, students, the unemployed, large families, people with disabilities and accredited pilgrims. Free Portico passes: two per person. Guided tours are in Spanish unless marked English.

The Museum closes on 1 and 6 January, 25 July and 25 December, and from 14:00 on 24 and 31 December. Tickets cannot be changed or refunded, and you must be at the Portico and Roofs meeting points 15 minutes early.

Pilgrim Mass and the botafumeiro

From 16 October 2026 until further notice, the Pilgrim Masses take place in the church of San Agustín, a few minutes from the Cathedral, at 9:30, 12:00 and 19:30, because of works in the main chapel. The 7:30 Mass stays in the Cathedral, in the Communion Chapel.

The botafumeiro swings on major feast days (Epiphany, Pentecost, 25 July, the Assumption, All Saints, the Immaculate Conception, Christmas and others) and for pilgrim groups that book it. Fixed dates can be checked in advance in the Cathedral's liturgical calendar; booked ones cannot. It is currently out of use for restoration works, according to a notice from the Cathedral itself, with no return date given.

The Compostela and the Pilgrim's Office

The Compostela is the free certificate the Cathedral gives to those who complete the Camino for religious or spiritual reasons. Requirements, according to the Pilgrim's Office:

• 100 continuous km on foot or on horseback towards Santiago on a recognised route (if you start outside Spain, at least 70 km within Spain).
• 200 km by bike, or 100 nautical miles by sea and the rest on foot.
• A pilgrim credential stamped and dated at the start and end of each stage, if you are doing the minimum.

You collect it in person at the International Pilgrim Reception Centre, Rúa Carretas 33, daily from 9:00 to 19:00 (closed 25 December and 1 January). Scan a QR code, fill in the form and take a number; you follow the queue on your phone. On very busy days same-day collection is not guaranteed, which matters in a Holy Year.

When to go for smaller crowds

The busiest dates are easy to predict: the opening on 31 December, the week of 25 July (the Apostle's feast day, when the Museum is closed), summer and Holy Week. If you can choose, November to March brings fewer pilgrims and easier accommodation, though more rain.

At the Cathedral, go first thing (it opens at 7:00) and book timed visits in advance.

Accommodation: book early

In a Holy Year, pressure on hotels and hostels builds early, and the travel trade is already contracting rooms for 2027. If your dates are fixed, book as soon as possible with free cancellation and check later whether prices drop.

Santiago has charged a tourist tax since 1 October 2025; the amount depends on the type of accommodation and is paid there.

Xacobeo 2027 events announced so far

As of 12 October 2026 there is no full events programme. What is confirmed:

• The Holy Door opening, on 31 December 2026 at 17:00.
• The Galician government is funding proposals from businesses and organisations through O teu Xacobeo (3 million euros for 2026 and 2027) and a sponsorship plan for major events.
• Turismo de Galicia's Concertos do Xacobeo series will remain the main music programme; dates are published at concertosdoxacobeo.gal.
• The Archbishop has invited Pope Leo XIV to the Holy Year, but a visit has not been confirmed.