--- title: "Feast of Saint James the Apostle 2026: when and where it's a public holiday — festivos.io" description: "Feast of Saint James the Apostle is a local holiday in 10 municipalities, accounting for 37,917 residents in the 2025 register. In 2026 it falls on 24 July." source: "https://festivos.io/en/holiday/fiestas-de-santiago-apostol" --- # Feast of Saint James the Apostle Local patronal festivals around Saint James (25 July)—distinct from Galicia’s national Day of Santiago when that day is fixed in the regional calendar. - **Level:** Local holiday - **Date 2026:** Friday 24 July - **Municipalities:** 10 - **Residents · 2025 register:** 37,917 - **Where most:** Andalucía (5) ## Feast of Saint James the Apostle in the working calendar In 2026, the dataset records Feast of Saint James the Apostle as a local holiday in 10 municipalities, accounting for 37,917 residents in the 2025 register. The most common date is 24 July 2026. 1 municipalities set it on another date. This comparison uses only the official working calendars incorporated into the dataset for each year. ## Demographics of the covered population Age, citizenship, birthplace and average-age structure from the 2025 Annual Population Census. | Demographic profile | % | | --- | --- | | Women / men | 49.6% / 50.4% | | Aged 0–14 | 13.7% | | Aged 15–64 | 67.9% | | Aged 65+ | 18.4% | | Foreign citizenship | 10% | | Born outside Spain | 13.2% | | Weighted mean age | 43.4 years | ### How it differs from its surroundings Comparison with Spain and with the aggregate of the 4 regions where it is observed. All five comparisons are population-weighted and use only the 2025 Annual Census. A positive sign means the covered population has a higher value than the benchmark. | Demographic profile | Covered population | Compared with Spain | Compared with its 4 regions | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Aged 0–14 | 13.7% | +0.8 pp | +0.2 pp | | Aged 65+ | 18.4% | -2.3 pp | -1 pp | | Foreign citizenship | 10% | -4.1 pp | -2.6 pp | | Born outside Spain | 13.2% | -6 pp | -4.1 pp | | Weighted mean age | 43.4 years | -1.2 years | -0.4 years | The largest difference from Spain is in “Born outside Spain”: -6 pp. Sex comes from the 2025 municipal register; all other metrics come from the 2025 Annual Census. Each percentage uses the total from its own statistical operation. [INE municipal tables 68535 and 68541](). ## What is Feast of Saint James the Apostle 25 July is the liturgical feast of James the Greater, traditionally Spain’s patron apostle and the figure at the heart of the Camino. In Galicia, when the regional calendar provides for it, that date can also be Galicia’s National Day. This entry covers something else: the local major festivals that town halls in several regions schedule around Santiago as patron or titular saint. In Spain’s labour calendar, Santiago Apóstol often appears as a local public holiday—one of the two each municipality may name. It does not automatically replace a national holiday: it is a day off only where the municipal bulletin lists it. In 2026, among municipalities tagged with this label in the dataset, dates cluster around 24–25 July. Local Santiago festivals typically combine Mass, procession, night dances and the civic programme of any summer fiesta mayor. The exact mix—pilgrimage, dance, fair—varies by town; no single invented local legend is claimed here. Keep three layers distinct: the liturgical solemnity of 25 July, any Galician regional holiday, and these municipal patronal weeks. They may overlap in time without being the same thing in labour law. _Saint James the Apostle_ ## Dates of Feast of Saint James the Apostle In 2026 it falls on Friday 24 July in most municipalities. 1 move it to another date (when it lands on a weekend or by local agreement). | Year | Main date | Municipalities | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026 | Friday, 24 July | 10 | ## Official sources Official documents linked by the 2026 records. Dates can vary by territory; each municipality page preserves its specific source. Population: official municipal-register figures at 1 January 2025. [INE](). [INE municipal tables 68535 and 68541](). - [Comunidad de Madrid — Festivos locales (datos abiertos)]() - [Junta de Andalucía — Calendario de fiestas locales (datos abiertos)]() - [Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha — Calendario de fiestas locales (DOCM/datos abiertos)]() - [Junta de Extremadura — Resolución de fiestas locales (DOE)]() ## 10 municipalities celebrate Feast of Saint James the Apostle Its local holiday in 2026, by region. Each municipality links to its annual record and the available official source. Together, they account for 37,917 residents in the INE municipal register at 1 January 2025. **Andalucía** (5): Aznalcázar, Begíjar, Fuente de Piedra, Guadalcanal, Guarromán **Castilla-La Mancha** (2): Lominchar, Viso del Marqués **Comunidad de Madrid** (2): Casarrubuelos, Colmenarejo **Extremadura** (1): Losar de la Vera ## About Feast of Saint James the Apostle ### When is Feast of Saint James the Apostle in 2026? In 2026, Feast of Saint James the Apostle is mainly celebrated on 24 July 2026 (Friday). Some municipalities move it to another date on the working calendar. ### In how many municipalities is Feast of Saint James the Apostle a holiday? It's a local holiday in 10 municipalities in 2026, accounting for 37,917 residents in the 2025 register; mostly in Andalucía (5 municipalities). ### Is Feast of Saint James the Apostle a national holiday? No. Feast of Saint James the Apostle is a local-level holiday: it's only a non-working day in the municipalities that set it as their local festival; each keeps its official source. ## Other holidays - Saint Isidore the Laborer (1052 municipalities) - San Roque (340 municipalities) - San Sebastián (260 municipalities) - San Blas (259 municipalities) - San Pedro (251 municipalities) - San Bartolomé (243 municipalities) - San Miguel (236 municipalities) - Exaltación de la Santa Cruz (209 municipalities) Per-municipality data with its official source (regional gazette). Every date is verifiable on the municipality page. Data from festivos.io — CC BY 4.0. --- Data: festivos.io — CC BY 4.0. Official source: State Official Gazette (BOE) and regional gazettes (Law 37/2007).