Under the motto Izan ginen, bagara eta izango gara, the celebration pays tribute to the generation of exile, which preserved the identity, culture and institutions of the Basque people, and highlights the responsibility of new generations to carry them forward and ensure their continuity
Saint-Jean-de-Luz hosted the past 8 of september the Basque Diaspora Day 2026, focused on the figure of Lehendakari José Antonio Agirre and coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the first Basque Government. The event paid tribute to an entire generation that experienced exile and, from different parts of the world, helped keep alive the identity, culture and institutions of the Basque nation during one of the most difficult periods in Euskadi’s history.
Held at the Peyuco Duhart cultural centre, only a brief distance from the cemetery in which the first Lehendakari lies buried, the central ceremony was chaired by Lehendakari Imanol Pradales. It brought together members of the Agirre family alongside a wide range of representatives from institutional, cultural and civic spheres. Under the motto Izan ginen, bagara eta izango gara (“We were, we are and we will be”), the event expressed the enduring historical continuity of the Basque people and of the Global Basque Community.
In attendance with the Lehendakari, those in attendance included Deputy Lehendakari Ibone Bengoetxea; Cabinet Ministers Bingen Zupiria, Mikel Torres, Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias, María Jesús San José and Nerea Melgosa; as well as Ander Caballero, Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs, and Ziortza Olano, Director for the Basque Community Abroad.
Our collective memory for build a Global Euskadi
The Lehendakari described the Basque diaspora as “an indispensable part of our collective memory and an essential ally in building a Global Euskadi,” noting that, during Euskadi’s most challenging periods, it had been decisive in preserving the country’s identity, the Basque language, its culture and its democratic legitimacy.
Pradales emphasised the need to renew and deepen this relationship, transforming it into a “two-way relationship” that would link Euskadi with emerging opportunities in fields including business, talent, science and culture. To this end, he pointed to the forthcoming Law on the Basque Community Abroad as a means of bringing relations with the diaspora into line with present-day circumstances.
The legislation is expected to introduce new rights and services, more accessible representative institutions, a single point of contact and digital tools for participation. Its central purpose is to involve younger generations especially, thereby securing the continuation of the centuries-long connection between Euskadi and its worldwide community.
From Gernika to New York via Berlin
A key feature of the event was an artistic piece that recreated the exile journey undertaken by Lehendakari José Antonio Agirre and his family. Drawing on his diary, De Gernika a Nueva York pasando por Berlín (From Gernika to New York via Berlin), the performance took the form of a theatrical adaptation prepared by Patxo Telleria and Fernando Bernués. Created expressly for Basque Diaspora Day 2026 and the ninetieth anniversary of the first Basque Government, the production was directed by Agurtzane Intxaurraga.
The narrative underscored the contribution of organised Basque communities across various countries, whose support allowed the Basque Government to preserve its institutional continuity while in exile. Initially based in Paris and later relocated to New York, the Government built a broad network of delegations and international representation, with a particularly strong presence throughout the Americas.
The event also included a performance by the dance group of the Gure Etxea Basque Centre in Tandil, Argentina, whose participation embodied the dedication of Basque communities abroad to safeguarding and transmitting Basque culture. In addition, the event featured a special performance by the Bayonne Choir, whose members are equally represented by people from Iparralde (the Northern Basque Country) and Hegoalde (the Southern Basque Country), with each region accounting for 50% of the choir’s membership. This balanced representation highlights the strong cultural ties shared by Basque communities on both sides of the border, bringing together voices from the Northern and Southern Basque Country in a celebration of their common heritage, language and cultural identity
Basque Migration Interpretation Centre
For over thirty years, the Basque Government has devoted efforts to recovering and safeguarding the memory of the Basque diaspora. This documentary legacy is also set to serve as one of the pillars of the future Basque Migration Interpretation Centre, provided for in the draft Basque Diaspora Law. Currently under consideration, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a renewed framework for the relationship between Euskadi and the Global Basque Community. It aims to reinforce links with the diaspora, encourage exchange between generations and acknowledge the Global Basque Community as one of Euskadi’s foremost international assets.
In this context, the motto Izan ginen, bagara eta izango gara acquires particular meaning. “We were” recalls and honours those who, through exile and emigration, sustained Basque institutions, language and culture in circumstances that demanded courage and commitment. “We are” reflects the continuing vitality, dynamism and diversity of the Global Basque Community, which remains present across all five continents and closely linked to Euskadi. “We will be” points to the responsibility of coming generations to carry that legacy forward and shape its future, opening new avenues for cooperation, innovation and a common sense of belonging. Whether connected through ancestry or affinity, younger Basques will help reinforce Euskadi Globala and enhance its international standing.
Ninety years after the creation of the first Basque Government, Basque Diaspora Day 2026 looks back to acknowledge a legacy while also addressing the present and future, with the aim of continuing to build a Global Basque Diaspora united by memory, strengthened in the present and ready to confront the challenges ahead for future generations. In doing so, the commemoration affirms a vision of Euskadi that extends beyond its geographical borders and endures wherever a Basque community preserves its language, culture and values; Izan ginen, bagara eta izango gara captures this continuity: we were, we are and we will continue to be.
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