Independence Day speech template (Sri Lanka)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Independence Day on 4 February is Sri Lanka's National Day. It marks 4 February 1948, when Ceylon gained independence from British rule as a dominion. The country became a republic and adopted the name Sri Lanka in 1972. A national ceremony is held each year with the raising of the flag, the national anthem and a parade, and Sri Lankan embassies and communities abroad hold their own celebrations.
- Date
- February 4
- Next dates
- Thursday 4 February 2027
Friday 4 February 2028
Sunday 4 February 2029 - Country
- Sri Lanka
- Tone
- Celebratory
- Typical events
- Sri Lankan embassy receptions, community associations, schools, cultural centres and company celebrations held on or around 4 February.
- Length
- 165 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Independence Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WELCOME1 / 4
Ayubowan, vanakkam and good morning, everyone. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} I warmly welcome you to our celebration of Sri Lanka's Independence Day. It is wonderful to see people of every background and every generation together today. - FROM CEYLON TO SRI LANKA2 / 4
On 4 February 1948, Ceylon gained independence from British rule. In 1972, the country became a republic and took the name Sri Lanka. Today we celebrate the island, its people and the traditions that its many communities share, at home and around the world. - LIGHTING THE OIL LAMP3 / 4
In keeping with Sri Lankan tradition, we now light the oil lamp. I invite {Guest of honour, title} and representatives of our communities to come forward.
[LIGHTING OF THE TRADITIONAL OIL LAMP]
Thank you. Please now stand for the national anthem, Sri Lanka Matha.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM] - CLOSING4 / 4
Thank you. You may be seated. Our celebration continues with {Cultural programme}, followed by lunch. A special thank you to the volunteers who prepared today's food and decorations. Thank you all for being here, and happy Independence Day to every one of you.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- Lighting the traditional oil lamp is a customary way to open events in Sri Lanka. Invite people from different communities to light one wick each, and keep a taper ready.
- The national anthem, Sri Lanka Matha, has Sinhala and Tamil versions, and the language used has at times been a sensitive issue. Choose with your audience in mind, and keep the script inclusive and non-political.
- Sri Lanka is home to Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and other communities. Greetings such as Ayubowan, Vanakkam and Assalamu alaikum help every guest feel welcome.
- If you mention the anniversary, count from 1948, and remember that the country was called Ceylon until 1972. Use the name Sri Lanka when speaking about the present day.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Dominion Status | Sri Lanka National Archives. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.