Current affairs
Santiago news: what changes for your visit
We don't do wire copy. We write background pieces on the things that genuinely change a visit to Santiago, and we keep them updated for as long as they still matter.
By Cesar Rodriguez · updated
A city that receives half a million pilgrims a year and has its cathedral under restoration is not a static destination. The three pieces below cover what most affects anyone travelling right now: what is closed or scaffolded and what is open regardless, what the city is preparing for the next Holy Year, and what the 2025 figures say about how busy the Camino is going to be. Each one carries its own update date, and we revise them when the situation changes, not only when we publish them.
The three pieces
In force now · 30 July 2026
Santiago Cathedral works in 2026: what they actually affect
The 2019 notice about San Francisco is still not true, but from 16 October 2026 three of the four pilgrim's masses really do move to San Agustín, for works on the main chapel. What is being restored, why the botafumeiro is grounded and how to check.
Countdown · 28 September 2026
Holy Door, 31 December 2026: the countdown to Xacobeo 2027
The Holy Door opens at midday on 31 December 2026. What a Compostelan Holy Year is, why the stone wall is no longer knocked down, and what to expect if you are coming in 2027.
The year in numbers · 28 September 2026
530,987 pilgrims: 2025 breaks the Camino's record
The Pilgrim's Office closed its best year ever. Who walks now, which routes are gaining ground, and why the busiest month is September rather than July.