Independence Day 2026. Warsaw, Poland

Runners celebrate Poland's Independence Day by participating in the 36th annual Independence Run along John Paul II Avenue in Warsaw, and later hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens march through the streets of Warsaw to celebrate the country's Independence Day, marking the 108th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence in 1918. Approximately 20,000 runners, with 19,542 recorded finishers, took part dressed in red and in white. Organisers separate the runners by colour in two columns so that the race route resembles a Polish flag. Then, with an estimated 250,000 participants, including families and children, the march travelled from Rondo Dmowskiego to the National Stadium. The march, which featured strong patriotic and religious symbolism, was initiated by far-right groups and has long been controversial for promoting extremist ideologies such as fascism, antisemitism, and racism.