Uruguay’s Independence Day

On 25 August, Uruguay remembers the 1825 Declaration of Independence. In the city of Florida, representatives of the Eastern Province adopted laws on independence from foreign authorities, union with the Provinces of Río de la Plata and their own tricolour flag. In 2025, the country marked this event’s bicentenary.

For Uruguayans, Independence Day is an occasion to remember national heroes and the country’s values. The principal national hero, José Artigas, laid the foundations of the struggle for freedom long before 1825, and his memory is honoured everywhere. The holiday is associated with the country’s peaceful and democratic spirit: as former president Sanguinetti noted, Uruguay is a ‘country of peace and freedom’, owing its birth to years of persistent struggle. Across the country, national flags are raised, Uruguay’s anthem (lyrics by Francisco Acuña de Figueroa) and other patriotic songs are heard. Government offices and many private businesses close: 25 August is a nationwide public holiday, when people rest and spend time with family.

The morning of 25 August will begin with the ceremonial raising of the national flag.

At 7:11 am, the simultaneous raising of the flag (Izado del pabellón nacional) is scheduled — at this symbolic moment, the flag will rise over the country to mark the holiday’s beginning. In Montevideo, the flag is traditionally raised by military guards of honour, for example at the José Artigas monument on Plaza Independencia or Plaza de la Bandera. City leaders may attend, while the anthem will be played and a ceremonial salute fired. At the same time, in the city of Florida — the historic place where independence was declared — the flag will also be raised at dawn in tribute to the events of 1825 gub.uy .

Main state ceremonies

In this anniversary year, the main state ceremonies will take place in Florida, the epicentre of the historic events. At 10:00, a ceremonial event will be held at the Piedra Alta memorial stone — the ‘High Rock’ where the Assembly that declared independence gathered two centuries ago. A commemorative bicentenary plaque is planned to be unveiled, with Uruguay’s president Yamandú Orsi and the intendant of the Florida Department, Carlos Enciso, taking part. Senior officials will deliver speeches, with Yamandú Orsi, as head of state, giving the government’s principal address. Following the official remarks, a festive civic-military and traditionalist parade will begin in the streets of Florida at 11:20.

This mixed procession will include military units, civil organisations and representatives of the gaucho community: troops in ceremonial uniform, brass bands, veterans and schoolchildren will proceed down the main avenue, with gauchos on horseback in traditional dress concluding the column. The parade will reflect the unity of the army and people, and a connection to the country’s cowboy (Creole) traditions. Montevideo residents who do not travel to Florida in person will be able to watch the colourful event on television. State channel Canal 5, municipal channel TV Ciudad, the Antel TV platform and the President of the Republic’s YouTube channel will carry a special live broadcast from Florida from 19:00 gub.uy (a separate recording of the daytime events is also planned).

How the bicentenary was marked in 2025

Alongside official celebrations, the capital prepared a cultural and entertainment programme for residents and visitors. On 25 August, Montevideo will offer free excursions, themed tours, exhibitions and other events intended to introduce the public to the country’s history and the diversity of Uruguayan culture. Below is an overview of confirmed Independence Day events, with times, venues and participation conditions.

Historical walks in the anniversary programme

Montevideo City Hall and the tourism office prepared a series of free walking tours of key places in the capital connected with the history of independence and national culture. This is an excellent way to spend the holiday, get to know the city more deeply and learn about its past. Several routes are offered:

• The ‘Monumental Montevideo’ walk: a route through the main historic sights in the centre.

It will begin at 10:00 at Plaza Independencia, by the Artigas mausoleum. The route will include the Metropolitan Cathedral, famous Solís Theatre and the landmark Palacio Salvo skyscraper. The tour will be offered in two formats: independently with an audio guide, or with a group and a live guide. Guides will be available in Spanish and English; schedules and availability can be confirmed at the Tourist Information Centre on Plaza Independencia. Participation is free and requires no advance booking; arriving punctually at the starting point is sufficient. Comfortable shoes are recommended: it is a walking route lasting around two hours.

• The ‘Sounds of the Old City’ tour (Montevideo Sonoro): a musical-historical walk through Ciudad Vieja. This unusual format will take visitors to key places in the old city, accompanied by historical stories and live music. Uruguayan melodies from different eras will help visitors feel the atmosphere of Montevideo in past centuries. Time and meeting point: approximately 14:00; the exact address will be sent on registration, usually a cultural space in the Old City. Advance registration is required and is free of charge. You can register online; look for the registration form on the tourism office’s official website. The group is limited to about 20–30 people, so early registration is advisable. Professional guides and musicians will lead the approximately 1.5-hour tour. Participation is free.
• The ‘Free Tour’: a historical, cultural and food tour. Another option is a free sightseeing tour of central Montevideo with elements of a gastronomic tour. This tour covers history, art and cuisine: a walk through the Old City, stories of key events and architecture, ending with a tasting of local treats such as mate and medialunas. The tour begins at 15:00 from Plaza Independencia, near the Solís Theatre entrance or directly on the square, as confirmed when booking. An online reservation is required through the organisers’ FreeTour.com platform, in the Montevideo section. Despite the name ‘free tour’, a tip for the guide is welcomed at the end, at the visitor’s discretion, usually around US$10 per person. Enthusiastic historians will lead the roughly two-hour tour. It is an excellent way to spend the holiday evening, learning something new and tasty about the country.

For all these walks, it is recommended to arrive 15 minutes early, dress for the weather (late August is winter in Uruguay and can be cool), and wear comfortable footwear. Tours are free; some require registration as stated above. Further information is available from the official tourism website Descubrí Montevideo (descubrimontevideo.uy) or the city Tourist Information Centre (Peatonal Sarandí Welcome Center in Ciudad Vieja).

Museums and exhibitions

Several capital museums prepared special holiday programmes. Note that municipal museums, administered by Montevideo City Hall, are closed on 25 August montevideo.gub.uy — including the City History Museum (Cabildo), the Torres García Museum and others. National museums under the Ministry of Culture, however, chose to welcome the public for the holiday:

• The National Historical Museum (Casa de Rivera) presents the new historical exhibition ‘1825’, dedicated to the bicentenary of the Declaration of Independence. The exhibition ceremonially opened on 20 August with President Y. Orsi and immerses visitors in the atmosphere of the era: it features authentic artefacts and documents from the 1820s, rare items from the museum’s holdings, some shown for the first time, including the restored painting ‘Florida Assembly’ by Eduardo Amézaga. Most importantly, on 25 August the museum will be exceptionally open and will offer special tours. Although normally closed on Mondays, on Monday 25 August it will be open from 12:00 to 18:00, with free entry. At 13:00 and 15:00, the exhibition’s curatorial team — historians Ana Frega, Nicolás Duffo and Andrés Aspiroz — will lead tours of the ‘1825’ exhibition. Joining is free and requires no booking. Guides will discuss the declaration’s context, heroes of the time, from General Lavalleja, who led the ‘33 Orientales’, to ordinary gauchos, and how independence anniversaries were marked in the past. This is an opportunity to see historical relics — weapons, documents and paintings — and ask experts questions. The venue is Casa de Rivera, one of the National Historical Museum buildings, at 437 Rincón Street in the Old City near Plaza Constitución. Tours will be in Spanish. Printed materials in English and Spanish will be available to Russian-speaking visitors, who may bring an interpreter they know if desired.

• The Carnival Museum (Museo del Carnaval) is in the old port at Rambla 25 de Agosto de 1825 No. 218 — the street name itself is notable: the 25 August 1825 waterfront. For the holiday, the museum planned an interactive performance by Afro-Uruguayan candombe groups and a drum-playing workshop; the drums are a symbol of national culture. Note, however, that the museum will be closed on 25 August, as it is a public holiday. Visitors remaining in Montevideo for the rest of the week can visit on subsequent days to see its exhibition on the history of Uruguayan carnival, closely intertwined with national identity. The 25 August Street leading to the museum is itself worth a walk: memorial plaques bear the names of the ‘33 Orientales’, the thirty-three patriots who began the liberation movement in 1825.
• The virtual exhibition ‘Views on Independence’: for those interested in historical documents, visit Uruguay’s National Library website. For the anniversary, the library presented the online exhibition ‘Miradas sobre la Independencia’, with rare engravings, letters and chronicles from the independence era in digital format bibna.gub.uy . They can be viewed from anywhere in the world, a good way to learn more about 1825. Library website: bibna.gub.uy, Exposición Virtual section.

City transport: as it is a public holiday, public transport switches to its weekend schedule. On the evening of 24 August, during the height of Nostalgia Night, buses follow the Saturday timetable, and fewer buses run after 19:00 montevideo.gub.uy . On 25 August, the Sunday schedule applies: buses will run but at longer intervals. Plan journeys with extra time, especially if returning from the centre in the evening, as many routes may stop after 21:00–22:00. Taxis and ride-hailing apps (Uber, DiDi, Cabify) are available, but rates may be higher on the night of 24 August due to demand.

The 2025 anniversary programme showed how Uruguay combines state memory, city walks, museums and everyday culture. The programme changes from year to year, so times, registration and venue openings should be checked through organisers’ official channels.