Mass times at the Cathedral: the schedule and how it works

Updated 19 September 2026, against the Cathedral's official liturgy calendar and its 17 September notice on the move to San Agustín.

The most-asked question at the Cathedral doors has a short answer: there are four masses a day, every day of the year, at 7:30 am, 9:30 am, noon and 7:30 pm. Until 15 October 2026 all four are held at the High Altar above the Apostle's tomb; from Friday 16 October, until further notice, the 9:30 am, noon and 7:30 pm masses move to the church of San Agustín, a five-minute walk away, and only the 7:30 am one stays in the Cathedral, in the Communion chapel. All of them are called the "pilgrim's mass", though the midday one is the main Mass and the one most arriving pilgrims aim for. No ticket, no reservation: entry is free and seats go to whoever arrives first.

If you have read somewhere that building work has moved the pilgrim's mass to San Francisco or San Fiz de Solovio, that notice is from 2019: the masses came back to the High Altar years ago. The move that is actually in force is the one to San Agustín, and we go through what the 2026 works do and don't affect.

The mass schedule

The schedule is published by the Cathedral itself in its liturgy section (catedraldesantiago.es) and makes no distinction between weekdays and Sundays: all four masses are daily. A regular mass lasts 45 minutes to an hour — an approximate figure, not an official one — plus about 5-10 minutes when the botafumeiro flies, which happens at the end of the eucharist.

Masses in English and other languages

Beyond the pilgrim's masses in Spanish, there are pilgrim masses in other languages in chapels and churches nearby. The most stable is the mass in English at 10:30 am in the chapel of the Pilgrim Reception Office (except Wednesdays), held from mid-April to October: there is none in winter. There's also a morning mass in French in the same chapel, and masses in German, Italian and Polish in nearby churches whose times change more often — for those, check the current list at catedraldesantiago.es before going.

The practical part: backpacks, seats and bookings

At the Cathedral you enter through the Praterías door, free of charge; the basilica is open 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. From 16 October 2026, for the masses at San Agustín you enter through the church itself. Two things worth knowing: backpacks are not allowed — it's an official security rule; leave yours at your accommodation or in a luggage storage, listed in the practical guide — and there's no seat reservation of any kind: it's first come, first seated. For the noon Mass in high season, arriving a good half hour early is the difference between a pew and standing in the aisle.

What about the botafumeiro?

It doesn't fly at every mass: normally it's guaranteed at the main Mass of the twelve solemnities of the liturgical calendar and, the rest of the year, at masses booked by groups. Right now it isn't flying at all, as explained just below. The guaranteed dates, booking cost and where to stand are in the botafumeiro guide.