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For those who enjoy watching dance, the beauty of the tango is a great draw. The Buenos Aires Tango Festival, or to give its official name – Tango BA Festival and World Cup – brings the planet’s great practitioners to Buenos Aires on the estuary that created it. It is arguably the most significant tango festival in Argentina.
The tango’s roots lie in a blend of indigenous, African and European cultures. It spread from the ports and the brothels of the 1880s into high society and then overseas.
When is the Buenos Aires Tango Festival?
The tango festival Argentina is usually held in August / September, In 2023 it will be from 23 August to 3 September.
What to Expect at the Tango BA Festival and World Cup
There are two categories that couples can enter. One could broadly be called the classical tango and the other is more flexible. It is where movements from other styles of dancing, such as ballet, can be incorporated into the dance routines. Overwhelmingly couples from Argentina take the tournament, though Colombia and Japan have produced winners too. With changes in recent years, same sex couples can now compete.
You can find the programme of events, here.
Things To Do in Buenos Aires
In the times between the competitions, Buenos Aires is a pleasant city to experience. With its plazas, wide boulevards and numerous coffee shops it makes a great slow walk. The architecture of the classical buildings is often in the neoclassical style with statues, carved decoration and cupulas. Then mix into that some older colonial buildings, art nouveau and art deco and you have a real treat for the eye.
For more about the Argentinian capital read Mark Bibby Jackson’s Lost and Found in Patagonia.
The suburbs like San Telmo and Caminito have their own styles too. A good way to get a broad understanding is an open-topped bus tour.
Flights to Argentina
As time of writing there are no direct flights from London to Buenos Aires. British Airways and LATAM fly via Sao Paulo in Brazil, and Air Europa and Iberia via Madrid. According to Skyscanner the British Airways flight is the Greener Choice, emitting les CO2.
From the US, Aerolineas Argentinas, Iberia and America Airlines fly direct from Miami to Buenos Aires.
Accommodation in Buenos Aires
To find the best accommodation in Buenos Aires, as well as international flights, please search via our comparison engine, which scans all the major booking sites so you don’t have to.
More information Buenos Aires Tango Festival
To discover more about the biggest tango festival in Argentina, click here.
