Obradoiro Square hosts BachCompostela on 12 November
Published on 10/18/2026 at 03:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Obradoiro Square (Praza do Obradoiro) in Santiago de Compostela will host the next BachCompostela concert on 12 November 2026, linking a major organ cycle with one of Spain's best-known pilgrimage settings. The programme, titled Prestado y transformado: El arte de la transcripción, will be performed inside the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
BachCompostela returns to Obradoiro Square on 12 November
BachCompostela is a 21-concert project devoted to the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach. The series began in October 2026 and is scheduled to continue until December 2028, with concerts on the second Thursday of each month.
Juan de la Rubia performs the cycle. He is the titular organist of Barcelona's Basilica of the Sagrada Familia and a professor at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. The 12 November programme focuses on Bach's transcriptions, following the opening concert titled Inicio del camino: Laberintos y ostinatos on 8 October 2026.
The official BachCompostela programme lists the 12 November recital under the 2026 programme. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the venue, placing the concert directly within the historic ensemble that forms the eastern side of the square.
Obradoiro Square frames a UNESCO-listed cathedral setting
The square takes its name from the workshop where stones for the cathedral's Baroque west facade were cut and carved between 1738 and 1747. The facade was designed by the Galician architect Fernando Casas e Novoa and replaced the earlier Romanesque front.
The towers reach 74 metres, according to Turismo de Galicia's historic-centre guide. The same square brings together the cathedral, the neoclassical Raxoi Palace, the former pilgrim hospital now known as the Hostal dos Reis Católicos and the Colexio de San Xerome.
This setting gives the November recital a specific architectural context: Bach's organ music will be heard in the cathedral while the facade and the four-sided civic, religious, university and charitable ensemble remain visible around the concert venue. Santiago's historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1985.
Visiting Obradoiro Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The BachCompostela concert takes place on 12 November 2026 inside the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, beside Obradoiro Square.
- The concert is part of the BachCompostela cycle and its listed programme is Prestado y transformado: El arte de la transcripción.
- Obradoiro Square is surrounded by the cathedral, Raxoi Palace, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos and the Colexio de San Xerome, so the visit combines the concert venue with a compact historic ensemble.
- The square lies in Santiago's old town, whose cathedral towers and Baroque facade form the principal architectural backdrop. The towers reach 74 metres.
- Spain's official language is Spanish, while Galician is also official in Galicia. The currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Obradoiro Square
When does BachCompostela take place at Obradoiro Square?
The next listed concert is on 12 November 2026 inside the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela beside the square. It is titled Prestado y transformado: El arte de la transcripción.
What is Obradoiro Square?
It is the principal square in front of Santiago Cathedral and part of Santiago de Compostela's UNESCO World Heritage historic centre. Its surrounding buildings include Raxoi Palace and the Hostal dos Reis Católicos.
Where is Obradoiro Square and how do you get there?
Obradoiro Square is in the historic centre of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It is reached through the old town, where the cathedral and the surrounding historic buildings form the central landmark.
