Must-see entertainment in Argentina

  • Crowd at the match between Boca and River Plate at La Bombonera Club Atletico Boca Juniors.

    La Bombonera Stadium

    La Boca

    Seeing Boca Juniors play at La Bombonera is one of the world's top spectator sports experiences, especially if you manage to catch the 'superclasico'…

  • Usina del Arte

    La Boca

    This former power station has been transformed into a spectacular concert venue in an effort to regenerate a somewhat sketchy area of La Boca. It’s a…

  • La Bomba de Tiempo

    Buenos Aires

    Who said the weekend was over? One of the city's liveliest events takes place on Monday evenings, when the long-running percussion group La Bomba de…

  • Cantalicio

    Along the Río Paraná

    This welcoming traditional-style bar a couple of blocks off the costanera is the place to go to get to know chamamé, with live performances and a colorful…

  • La Catedral

    Buenos Aires

    This rustic warehouse turned bohemian tango club and cultural center is a unique venue in the city. Join a tango class – walk-ins are welcome, and it's a…

  • El Patio del Indio Froilán

    Salta & the Andean Northwest

    For more than 40 years, indigenous local hero Froilán González has been making drums from the trunks of the ceibo tree. They're used by some of the…

  • Teatro Bajosuelo

    The Pampas & the Atlantic Coast

    Everything about this place is cool. From the name, to the location on the Plaza Independencia, to the original plays it stages nearly every weekend, to…

  • Cine Universidad

    Mendoza

    Art-house films and docs, primarily Argentinian and South American, and the occasional Hollywood film, usually retro classics, are screened at this cinema…

  • Villa Malcolm

    Palermo

    It's a no-frills community center and gymnasium by day, but after dark – on certain nights of the week – Villa Malcolm transforms into a glamorous milonga…

  • Centro Cultural Borges

    Buenos Aires

    This excellent cultural center has many offerings, including reasonably priced tango shows several times per week: Bien de Tango, on Friday and Saturday…

  • Maldita Milonga

    San Telmo

    Maldita Milonga, held on Wednesday at Buenos Ayres Club, is a well-run and popular event, and one of the best places to see tango being danced by real…

  • Tango Queer

    Buenos Aires

    Anyone can dance with anyone, leading or following as they choose, at this excellent gay tango class and milonga.

  • Ciudad Cultural Konex

    Buenos Aires

    Cutting-edge cultural center offering multidisciplinary performances that fuse art, culture and technology, plus film series and programming for kids…

  • Hipódromo Argentino

    Palermo

    Even if you’re not usually a fan, a few hours at the races in the glamorous grandstand of the historic Hipódromo Argentino is a fabulous afternoon outing …

  • Café de los Angelitos

    Buenos Aires

    Originally called Bar Rivadavia, this cafe was once the haunt of poets, musicians and even criminals, which is why a police commissioner jokingly called…

  • La Viruta

    Palermo

    Popular basement venue. Good beginner tango classes are available before the milongas – translating into many inexperienced dancers on the floor earlier…

  • Esquina Carlos Gardel

    Buenos Aires

    One of the fanciest tango shows in town plays at this impressive 430-seat theater right next to the lovely Mercado de Abasto shopping mall. This fine show…

  • Los Cardones

    Palermo

    Come to this friendly, low-key peña (folkloric music club) for mellow guitar shows, audience-participatory jam sessions, impromptu dancing, hearty…

  • La Peña del Colorado

    Palermo

    The nightly music shows (mostly folkloric) are memorable at this rustic restaurant, and after midnight audience members pick up nearby guitars to make…

  • Campo Argentino de Polo

    Palermo

    Located just across from the Hipódromo Argentino in Palermo, this stadium holds up to 30,000 spectators and hosts polo’s most important events, including…

  • La Vieja Estación

    Salta

    The best-established of the Balcarce peñas (folk music clubs), this place is a professional operation featuring an atmospheric dining room with twinkling…

  • El Beso

    Buenos Aires

    This small, intimate dance salon hosts various different milongas (tango nights) and offers tango classes every day of the week. If you're new to the…

  • Tango Porteño

    Buenos Aires

    Staged in a renovated art-deco theater, this tango show features snippets of old footage interspersed with plenty of athletic and sensual dancing. Though…

  • La Ventana

    San Telmo

    This long-running basement venue is located in an old converted building with rustic brick walls in San Telmo. The tango show includes a folkloric segment…

  • Salón Canning

    Palermo

    Some of BA’s finest dancers (no wallflowers here) grace this traditional venue with its great dance floor. Well-known tango company Parakultural stages…

  • La Casona del Molino

    Salta

    This former mansion, about 20 blocks west of Plaza 9 de Julio, is a Salta classic. Several spacious rooms feature performers who work around the tables…

  • Complejo Tango

    Buenos Aires

    For those who wish to not only watch tango but also experience it, there’s this classy venue in Once. The first hour is a free beginners' tango lesson,…

  • El Monumental

    Belgrano, Nuñez & the Costanera Norte

    Known as El Monumental, River Plate fútbol (soccer) club's home ground is the largest stadium in Argentina. The national team plays here, and the stadium…

  • Patio de Tango

    Buenos Aires

    This charming milonga (tango night) takes place in the outdoor patio and surrounding salons of the historic Manzana de las Luces, one of the city's oldest…

  • Rojo Tango

    Puerto Madero

    This sexy performance is the tango show to top all others, though it comes with a hefty price tag. Offering only 100 seats, the Faena’s cabaret room is…

  • Piazzolla Tango

    Buenos Aires

    This beautiful art nouveau theater, just off pedestrianized Calle Florida, used to be a red-light cabaret venue. The glitzy show here is based on the…

  • La Casa del Tango

    Rosario

    This tango center has info on performances and classes around town, often offers fun, very cheap evening lessons, and stages various events. Regular 9pm…

  • Milonga La Glorieta

    Belgrano, Nuñez & the Costanera Norte

    It’s hard to imagine a more romantic setting for an outdoor milonga than the park bandstand at the Barrancas de Belgrano, where on summer evenings dancers…

  • El Viejo Almacén

    San Telmo

    One of BA's longest-running shows (since 1969), this venue is a charming old building from the 1800s. Dinner is served at a multistory restaurant in the…

  • Club Gricel

    Buenos Aires

    This old classic in the San Cristóbal neighborhood (take a taxi) often has big crowds. It attracts an older, well-dressed, mostly local clientele – avoid…

  • Thelonious Club

    Palermo

    An institution on the city's music scene, Thelonious is known for its classic and contemporary Argentine jazz lineups. International musicians sometimes…

  • Teatro El Círculo

    Rosario

    This noble old theater is known for excellent acoustics. Performances are regular and range from folk and classical concerts to opera. Guided visits run…

  • Notorious

    Recoleta & Barrio Norte

    Notorious is one of Buenos Aires’ premier jazz venues, with a restaurant-cafe (overlooking a verdant garden) hosting live shows nearly every night. Check…

  • Cineclub Municipal Hugo del Carril

    Córdoba

    For a great night (or day) at the movies, pop into this municipal film house, which screens everything from art flicks to Latin American award winners and…

  • Centro Cultural Ricardo Rojas

    Buenos Aires

    Part of the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), this exceptional cultural center has a program of concerts, theater, and dance performances, plus language…

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