Obradoiro Square hosts BachCompostela on 12 November

Obradoiro Square (Praza do Obradoiro) in Santiago de Compostela will host BachCompostela on 12 November 2026, when organist Juan de la Rubia performs at the Cathedral. The concert is part of a 21-event cycle linked to the 2027 Holy Year and the fiftieth anniversary of the Cathedral's Mascioni organ.

BachCompostela brings Bach to the Cathedral on 12 November

The concert begins at 9pm at the Cathedral, whose address is listed as Praza do Obradoiro in the official city cultural diary. Its programme, Borrowed and Transformed: The Art of Transcription, examines Bach's arrangements of works by other composers, including Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar and Johann Friedrich Fasch.

The Cathedral's concert listing gives the date, time, venue and entrance through the Platerías Gate. It also identifies the Mascioni organ as the instrument used for the complete Bach cycle, which runs from October 2026 to December 2028.

Obradoiro Square frames a UNESCO-listed historic centre

The concert takes place in the principal square west of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Four major buildings define its sides: the Cathedral, the former Royal Hospital for pilgrims, the Pazo de Raxoi and the Colexio de San Xerome.

The square's setting explains why an organ recital here connects a current programme with a wider European heritage site. UNESCO describes the Baroque western facade of the Cathedral as one side of the square, while the Old Town contains Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical buildings. The UNESCO World Heritage description records the area's inscription and its continuing association with pilgrimage.

Turismo de Galicia says the present Baroque facade replaced an earlier Romanesque facade and was designed by Fernando Casas e Novoa. Its towers reach 74 metres, and the square's name recalls the workshop where stones for the facade were cut between 1738 and 1747.

The November programme links the organ with Santiago's pilgrimage history

BachCompostela uses the Cathedral's Mascioni organ to present Bach's complete organ output across 21 concerts. The November programme therefore places a single evening inside a longer musical sequence, rather than presenting an isolated performance.

The choice of the Cathedral also reflects the square's role as the western threshold of the historic complex. Visitors arriving through the old town encounter the facade, the surrounding stone buildings and the pilgrimage destination before entering the concert venue.

Visiting Obradoiro Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• BachCompostela takes place on 12 November 2026 at 9pm in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, with access through the Platerías Gate.
• The event is an organ concert inside the Cathedral; the listed programme is Borrowed and Transformed: The Art of Transcription.
• The venue stands in the historic centre, and the square is mainly pedestrian. The old town and Cathedral form part of the UNESCO-listed area inscribed in 1985.
• Granite paving and the Cathedral steps shape the approach to the square. The surrounding historic streets can include uneven surfaces.
• Spanish and Galician are used locally, and Spain's national currency is the euro.

Searching for Obradoiro Square on social platforms

These links open searches for Obradoiro Square on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Obradoiro Square

When does BachCompostela take place at Obradoiro Square?

The Cathedral concert takes place on 12 November 2026 at 9pm, as part of the BachCompostela cycle.

What is BachCompostela?

It is a 21-concert programme presenting the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach on the Cathedral's Mascioni organ.

Where is Obradoiro Square and how do you get there?

It is in the historic centre of Santiago de Compostela, beside the Cathedral and within the UNESCO-listed Old Town.