A new generation of Catalans turns to culture to keep the independence spirit alive
After the failed 2017 independence referendum and years of political deadlock, many young Catalans have turned away from politics and now champion their identity through music, language and culture.
Catalonia's push for independence from Spain has been a source of tension for centuries, but in recent years the focus has shifted from political struggle toward preserving culture and language. That shift is visible at events like the annual Cabro Rock festival in Vic, dedicated to Catalan music and identity, where Catalan dominates over Spanish among attendees.
From politics to culture
On October 1, 2017, more than two million Catalans took part in an independence referendum despite the Spanish government's attempts to block it. Madrid declared the vote unconstitutional, suspended Catalonia's autonomy and imposed direct rule, triggering large-scale protests. In 2019, 12 organisers of the referendum stood trial, and nine were convicted of sedition and misuse of public funds.
In the aftermath, many independence activists grew disillusioned with broken promises and a lack of renewal among pro-independence politicians, turning their backs on politics altogether. Pau, a former activist who helped organise the 2017 referendum through a student union, now believes language is the main cause left for young Catalans to defend.
Language preservation as a political act
Pau says the tourism boom in Barcelona has made it increasingly hard to get by in Catalan in everyday situations, such as ordering a coffee, and argues authorities should ensure people can be served in Catalan at hospitals, pharmacies and elsewhere. At the same time, he notes that more young people — even those uninterested in independence itself — are actively engaged in preserving the language, producing music, films and social media content, including on TikTok, entirely in Catalan.
Joan, a DJ who performed at Cabro Rock and has supported independence since childhood, gained recognition in recent years for remixing traditional Catalan music. He hopes that safeguarding the language and culture could eventually reinvigorate the independence movement itself.
Catalan is currently spoken by more than 10 million people in Europe, including over eight million in Spain, mostly in Catalonia. Yet the language still holds no official status at the national level in Spain or within the European Union, remaining only an official regional language.
