Holy Year 2027 (Xacobeo): dates, the Holy Door and how to experience it

2027 is a Compostela Holy Year. It begins on 31 December 2026, when the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago opens, and ends on 31 December 2027, when it closes again. It's the year when the most people walk the Camino de Santiago, and the next one won't come until 2032.

What a Holy Year is (and why it falls in 2027)

A Jacobean Holy Year, or Xacobeo, is a year in which 25 July, the feast of Saint James the Apostle, falls on a Sunday. In 2027 it does.

That's why there isn't one every year. They follow a fixed pattern of 6, 5, 6 and 11 years:

If you want to walk the Camino in a Holy Year, it's either 2027 or a five-year wait.

The Holy Door: when it opens and what it means

The Holy Door is on the Praza da Quintana, at the back of the Cathedral. It only opens in a Holy Year.

• Opening: 31 December 2026, at around 12:00 noon, as announced by the Archdiocese of Santiago in September 2026. This is new: traditionally it opened at five in the afternoon.
• The ceremony: the archbishop knocks on the door three times with a silver hammer, turns the key, and the door stays open all year. A Mass follows.
• Closing: 31 December 2027.

Holy Year and Xacobeo are not the same thing

• The Holy Year is the religious celebration, organised by the Church and the Cathedral of Santiago.
• Xacobeo is the name of the culture, tourism and hospitality programme the Galician government (Xunta de Galicia) runs that same year: concerts, exhibitions and events all over Galicia.

The jubilee or plenary indulgence

For Catholic pilgrims, the Holy Year offers the chance to gain the jubilee. According to the Cathedral, you need to:

1. Visit the Cathedral of Santiago on any day of the Holy Year. Entering through the Holy Door is the tradition, but it isn't required.
2. Pray for the Pope's intentions (the Our Father and the Creed are recommended) and, if possible, attend Mass.
3. Go to confession and receive communion within fifteen days before or after the visit.

The indulgence can also be applied to someone who has died.

You don't need to have walked to gain the jubilee. For the Compostela, you do. → How to get the Compostela, explained simply

What changes on the Camino in 2027

• Many more people. In 2025, 530,987 pilgrims reached Santiago, an all-time record. Many more are expected in a Holy Year, especially from May to October.
• Albergues and accommodation fill up sooner. On the busiest routes (French Way from Sarria, Portuguese Way from Tui or Porto) it's wise to book ahead or have a plan B.
• Longer queues at the Pilgrim's Office to collect the Compostela. On very busy days, collecting it the same day isn't guaranteed.
• More events in Santiago and across Galicia with the Xacobeo programme.

How to prepare, starting now

1. Choose your Camino. They're not all equally busy. → All the Caminos de Santiago and how to choose yours
2. Choose your dates. If you can, avoid July and August: April, May, September and October have good weather and slightly fewer people.
3. Get the official pilgrim document before you leave (from Friends of the Camino associations, parishes or the Cathedral itself).
4. Book what matters most months ahead: your first and last nights, and your travel there and back.
5. Get your body ready: start walking with your backpack on a few weeks before. → How to prepare your Camino for the Holy Year
6. Think about how you'll keep the memories. In a Holy Year, all the more.

Frequently asked questions

Waymino is a band that keeps the photos and notes of your Camino and, when you reach Santiago, gives you your memory video of the journey. See the band →

Sources: Cathedral of Santiago and Pilgrim's Office (oficinadelperegrino.com), Archdiocese of Santiago (announcement of 24/09/2026 reported by La Región, COPE and El Correo Gallego), Xunta de Galicia (Xacobeo). Reviewed on 12/10/2026.