A Compostela Holy Year — the Año Santo Jacobeo — is a jubilee celebrated in Santiago de Compostela whenever the feast of St. James the Apostle, 25 July, falls on a Sunday. The next one opens at the end of 2026 and runs through 2027, and it is expected to draw record numbers of pilgrims to the cathedral of Santiago.
What is a Compostela Holy Year?
The tradition reaches back to the 12th century: whenever 25 July falls on a Sunday, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to pilgrims who visit the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, receive the sacraments of confession and Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Pope. The Holy Door of the cathedral is opened on 31 December of the preceding year and sealed again the following December. Recent Jacobean holy years were 2004, 2010 and 2021 (extended into 2022 because of the pandemic); after 2027 the next one falls in 2032.
What happens during the holy year?
Pilgrims walk the Camino de Santiago — the network of routes crossing Europe to the shrine of the apostle — and pass through the Holy Door of the cathedral. Holy years traditionally bring record pilgrim numbers to Galicia, and the cathedral's Pilgrim's Mass, with the great botafumeiro thurible swung through the transept on solemn occasions, becomes the centre of celebrations that draw visitors from every continent.
The Camino in 2027
If you are planning to walk the Camino in the holy year, expect crowded albergues, busy Masses and a special atmosphere — the pilgrimage is at its most intense in jubilee years. Parishes and shrines along the routes also prepare a fuller programme of liturgies for the season, from pilgrim blessings to solemn Masses for the feast of St. James.
St. James vestments and church furnishings
St. James the Apostle is depicted with the pilgrim's staff, the scallop shell and the broad-brimmed hat — symbols still used to mark the Camino. For churches that keep his feast or serve the pilgrim routes, we make vestments with the apostle's image: a stole with the image of St. James the Apostle, the embroidered red St. James chasuble, a gothic chasuble with the Cross of St. James and the chasuble of the Muses of St. James. Each piece is hand-embroidered to order in our Polish atelier, in the liturgical colour you need.
Planning for 2027
Jubilee vestments are best ordered well ahead of the season — made-to-order pieces take several weeks, and the months around 25 July 2027 will be the busiest of the year. If your parish, shrine or pilgrimage centre is preparing for the Año Santo, write to us early with your requirements.
Read more about the Church's coming holy years in our guide to upcoming jubilees and holy years.
