National Day of Spain speech template (Spain)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
The National Day of Spain, or Fiesta Nacional de España, is held every year on 12 October. The date recalls Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492, and the day celebrates Spain's history, culture and links with the wider Spanish-speaking world. It is also widely known as the Día de la Hispanidad. It is a public holiday, and the main official event is a military parade in Madrid presided over by the King.
- Date
- October 12
- Next dates
- Monday 12 October 2026
Tuesday 12 October 2027
Thursday 12 October 2028 - Country
- Spain
- Tone
- Celebratory
- Typical events
- Embassy and consulate receptions, Spanish cultural centres abroad, school assemblies, Hispanic community associations and company gatherings held around 12 October.
- Length
- 182 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The National Day of Spain 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
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to {Venue}. My name is {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} it is a pleasure to celebrate the National Day of Spain with friends old and new. Tonight is about a country whose language, art and food have travelled far beyond its borders. - WHY THIS DATE2 / 4
The date recalls 1492, when Christopher Columbus reached the Americas. Today it is a day to celebrate Spain's long history, its many regions and languages, and the ties it shares with the Spanish-speaking world. In Madrid, the King presides over a military parade. Here, we mark the day in good company. - THE ANTHEM AND OUR GUEST3 / 4
Before we raise our glasses, please stand for the national anthem of Spain, the Marcha Real.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM – INSTRUMENTAL]
Thank you, please be seated. It is now my honour to invite {Guest of honour, title} to say a few words. - A TOAST4 / 4
Thank you. Now, please raise your glass. To Spain, to its people at home and around the world, and to the friendships that bring us together this evening. ¡Salud! Please enjoy the food, the music and the conversation, and thank you for joining {Organisation} tonight.
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
- Spain's national anthem, the Marcha Real, has no official lyrics, so play an instrumental version and invite guests to stand rather than sing.
- Columbus's voyage is viewed very differently across the Americas, especially by Indigenous communities. Keep the script focused on culture and friendship, and avoid language that celebrates conquest.
- Spain has several co-official languages alongside Spanish, including Catalan, Basque and Galician. If your guests come from different regions, a welcome that acknowledges this variety is a thoughtful touch.
- At embassy events the guest of honour may be the ambassador or consul. Confirm the order of speakers and the speaking time with their office well in advance.
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: 0 primerasPagsOk.indd. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
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