La Diada de Catalunya is the country's most eagerly awaited festival. Events, celebrations and gatherings of every kind fill towns and cities across the region, all in the spirit of asserting this culture as our own. Barcelona is the clearest expression of this festivity, not least because the Catalan capital becomes the focal point of everything that happens, and so The New Barcelona Post has put together the definitive guide to celebrating, enjoying, marching and, above all, getting around the streets of Barcelona on 11 September 2026.
The first confirmed events actually got under way on the afternoon of 10 September, the eve of the Diada. At 5pm, the controversial demonstration organised by Aliança Catalana took place at the Fossar de les Moreres. In the same location, the Esquerra Independentista — driven by CUP, Arran, SEPC, COS, Endavant and Alerta Solidària — called a mobilisation in response. Around 7pm, the flag was raised at the Parlament de Catalunya, an act which, for the second year running, is considered the starting gun of the Diada. It was attended by the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa.
The full programme of Diada events
As is now tradition, an offering will be made at 9am at the monument to Rafael Casanova on Ronda de Sant Pere. The first to attend are the members of the Mesa del Parlament, led by Josep Rull, Speaker of the Parlament. Afterwards, an offering will also be made at the tomb of Rafael Casanova, in the church of Sant Baldiri in Sant Boi de Llobregat. Following the Mesa, political parties and other organisations are also expected to make their offerings.
At 10am, the Esquerra Independentista front will pay tribute to Gustau Muñoz, the young independence activist and communist killed by the Spanish police on 11 September 1978. This mobilisation will take place on Carrer Ferran, followed by further events linked to youth activism.
Barcelona's afternoon of 11 September will be marked by the annual pro-independence demonstration. Under the slogan Hi soc. Hi som. Independència (“I am here. We are here. Independence”), the organising bodies — ANC, Òmnium Cultural, the Associació de Municipis per la Independència (AMI), Consell de la República, Intersindical and CIEMEN — will lead a march through the Catalan capital at 5:14pm, split into two columns. The first, representing the “present”, will set off from the junction of Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Carrer Casanova. The second, representing the “future”, will begin its route at Via Laietana and Plaça de la Catedral. Both columns will converge on Plaça Catalunya, where all the speeches will take place.
As a counter-proposal, the Esquerra Independentista de Barcelona has called its own mobilisation, setting off from Plaça Urquinaona. Its slogan is Per una terra lliure (“For a free land”), and it frames the Diada as a mobilisation against the far right and in favour of a popular, diverse, anti-racist and feminist sense of Catalan identity.
Rounding off the day will be the 24th edition of Òmnium's Festa per la Llibertat. At 7pm, Passeig Lluís Companys in the Catalan capital will fill with music, with performances from DJ Trapella and La Gossa Sorda, plus DJ K-ZU, who will open the closing set at 11:45pm. At the same time, at 8pm, the Generalitat is holding its institutional ceremony at the TNC, presided over by Salvador Illa. This is the public administration's central event of the Diada and can be followed on 3Cat. Its theme will be the unity of Catalan society, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Diada in Sant Boi — the first officially celebrated after the dictatorship. Confirmed performers include Joan Dausà, Sopa de Cabra and Andrea Motis.
Additionally, the Parlament will hold an open house throughout the day. From 11am to 7pm, anyone who wishes may enter and visit this palace in the Catalan capital. Until 1:50pm, there will also be a display of popular culture in front of the Parlament.
Street closures and traffic restrictions
Naturally, with all the Diada's events under way, much of the city centre will be closed off, and major traffic disruption is expected. According to Barcelona City Council, traffic will be closed off around the rallying points from 3pm, the point at which the pro-independence demonstration will start to assemble. The expected disruption includes Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, where traffic will be cut between Entença and Balmes. On Via Laietana, access will not be permitted from Passeig d'Isabel II or from the underpass beneath the city wall, with traffic from El Gòtic and Santa Caterina diverted along the same route depending on how busy it is.
On La Rambla, the uphill direction will be closed from Portal de la Pau, with residual traffic diverted towards El Raval. At Plaça d'Urquinaona, vehicles heading towards Llobregat will be diverted towards Roger de Llúria, while those travelling along Pau Claris will be redirected towards Gran Via, with residual traffic sent along Casp. Finally, on Carrer de la Ribera, the direction of traffic will be reversed to allow vehicles coming from Carrer Comerç to exit.
But that is not all. If turnout is particularly high, the Guàrdia Urbana has the authority to extend these closures. In that case, the disruption would extend along Gran Via as far as Plaça d'Espanya and would restrict traffic at various points in Ciutat Vella, including Avinguda del Marquès de l'Argentera, Pla de Palau and the Passeigs d'Isabel II and Colom. Diversions are also expected at Plaça d'Espanya, Passeig de Sant Joan and Plaça de Pau Vila, along with possible exit closures on the Ronda del Litoral (B-10).
To avoid these closures, the city council is recommending the use of the metro for journeys into the city centre. Some stations may be affected by higher passenger numbers, including Catalunya (L1/L3), Universitat (L1/L2), Urquinaona (L1/L4), Jaume I (L4) and Espanya (L1/L3), though they remain the most viable option.
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