What to do in Santiago in May

For many people who live in Santiago, May is the best month of the year: long days, agreeable weather around 12-18 °C, and the city in full form before the heat arrives. The big date is the Ascension festival: the livestock fair, the Romaría das Flores, the ComposFest concert series and the stalls of pulpo á feira set up on the Alameda fairground. In 2026 it ran from 13 to 17 May, with Thursday the 14th as the central day; in 2027 Ascension falls on Thursday 6 May and the festival is organised around that date, still unconfirmed.

It is a far less known festival than July's, with the same atmosphere and far fewer tourists: the local warm-up before the big one. If the trip is to walk the Camino, or to start or finish it, you are unlikely to find a better combination of weather and light all year.

What happens in May

Ascension festival (Five days in May (2026: 13 to 17; 2027: around Thursday the 6th, to be confirmed)). Livestock fair, the Romaría das Flores, ComposFest and octopus stalls on the Alameda. In 2026 it ran from 13 to 17 May, with Thursday the 14th as the central day. In 2027 Ascension falls on Thursday 6 May and the festival is organised around it; the programme comes out a few weeks before.

Things to do in May

• Take in the Ascension festival, the local rehearsal before July's big one
• Eat pulpo á feira at the Alameda fairground during the festival
• Start or finish the Camino with the best weather of the year
• Walk Rúa do Franco and Rúa da Raíña with the terraces already in full swing

May is also one of the recommended months to walk the Camino de Santiago: a good balance between weather and how many pilgrims are on the road.

For the full calendar of festivals and events, see what’s on in Santiago.