National Day (Fiestas Patrias) speech template (Chile)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Chile's National Day, the centrepiece of the Fiestas Patrias, falls on 18 September. It marks the formation of the First Government Junta in Santiago on 18 September 1810, the first step on the road to independence, which was formally declared in 1818. The following day, 19 September, honours the Army with a military parade. Across the country, people gather at fondas, festive venues with music and food, dance the cueca, eat empanadas and fly kites.
- Date
- September 18
- Next dates
- Saturday 18 September 2027
Monday 18 September 2028
Tuesday 18 September 2029 - Country
- Chile
- Tone
- Celebratory
- Typical events
- Fondas and community fiestas, Chilean embassies and consulates abroad, school celebrations with cueca dancing, and company gatherings in the week of 18 September.
- Length
- 171 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The National Day (Fiestas Patrias) 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.
- BIENVENIDOS A LA FONDA1 / 4
Good evening, and welcome to our fonda. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} it's a pleasure to celebrate Chile's Fiestas Patrias with you. The empanadas are warm, the flags are up and the music is ready. Before the dancing begins, please stand for the national anthem of Chile.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM] - WHY THE EIGHTEENTH2 / 4
Thank you, please be seated. On 18 September 1810, leading citizens of Santiago met and formed the First Government Junta. It was not yet a declaration of independence; that came in 1818. But it was the first government chosen in Chile itself, and so the eighteenth is where the celebration begins. - TIME FOR THE CUECA3 / 4
And now, the national dance. Please welcome {Dancers} with a cueca. Watch the handkerchiefs, follow the clapping, and when they finish, the floor is open to everyone.
[CUECA PERFORMANCE – GUESTS INVITED TO DANCE]
What a performance. Thank you. - A TOAST TO CHILE4 / 4
Please raise your glass. To Chile, from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia, and to every Chilean celebrating far from home tonight. ¡Viva Chile! Enjoy the food, keep dancing and have a wonderful dieciocho. Thank you for joining us.
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
- Avoid calling 18 September Chile's Independence Day. It marks the First Government Junta of 1810; independence was declared in 1818, and Chilean guests will appreciate the distinction.
- In the cueca, dancers wave a white handkerchief. Hand out napkins or handkerchiefs so that guests can join in, and ask the dancers to demonstrate the basic steps first.
- Flying the national flag is a strong custom during the Fiestas Patrias. Hang it with the white star on the blue square in the upper corner nearest the flagpole.
- The celebrations often stretch over several days, and extra holidays are sometimes added around 18 and 19 September. Check this year's official dates before fixing yours.
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: 18 de septiembre de 1810 - Memoria Chilena, Biblioteca Nacional de Chile. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.