Diada events are under way today, Friday 11 September, in Puigcerdà and La Seu d’Urgell, with public programmes centred on Catalonia’s National Day.

For residents and visitors, the schedules provide free daytime activities in central public spaces, including traditional sardana dancing, a Catalan circle dance performed to live cobla music. Puigcerdà’s final event starts at 6pm, while La Seu’s morning programme begins at 9.30am.

Puigcerdà starts with Bell-lloc gathering

According to Regió7’s Diada agenda, Puigcerdà begins its 20th Aplec de Bell-lloc at 8am, leaving from Plaça de Barcelona. A community breakfast is planned on arrival.

  • 8am: 20th Aplec de Bell-lloc, departing from Plaça de Barcelona, followed by a community breakfast.
  • 11am: Diada Mass at the church of Santa Maria de Bell-lloc.
  • 6pm: Sardana dancing with the Cobla Ciutat de Manresa in Plaça de l’Alguer.

The evening sardana event gives people who cannot attend the morning gathering a later opportunity to take part in the town-centre programme.

Poetry and sardanes in La Seu d’Urgell

La Seu d’Urgell’s events begin at 9.30am in Plaça Sant Josep de Calassanç with the presentation and reading of Òmnium Cultural’s official Diada manifesto, according to laciutat.cat. Òmnium Cultural is a civic association that promotes Catalan language and culture.

Poet Joan Graell i Piqué will give a recital in the same square at 9.40am. At 10am, attendees can move to Plaça Catalunya for sardana dancing by the Cobla Ciutat de Manresa.

  • 9.30am: Presentation and reading of Òmnium Cultural’s official Diada manifesto in Plaça Sant Josep de Calassanç.
  • 9.40am: Poetry recital by Joan Graell i Piqué in the same square.
  • 10am: Sardana dancing with the Cobla Ciutat de Manresa in Plaça Catalunya.
  • Sunday 13 September, 5pm: A further sardana event with the Cobla Jovenívola d’Agramunt at Pati Palau.

laciutat.cat reports that La Seu d’Urgell’s programme has been coordinated by the Ajuntament, the town council, with Òmnium Cultural Alt Urgell and the Associació d’Amics de la Sardana La Seu. Residents wishing to attend today can go directly to either of the two squares at the scheduled times.

Reported by Regió7, laciutat.cat, surtdecasa.cat, CatalunyaPress.cat, diaridegirona.cat, cerdanya.org, La Paeria - Ajuntament de Lleida, 3CatInfo, ajuntamentdetremp.cat, La Valira.