By nine or ten in the evening, the pavements of Corrientes are filling with people on their way to dinner, and the first dancers are arriving at the milongas. Later still, the city's bars and clubs take over, and the night runs long enough that breakfast and bedtime can overlap.
Buenos Aires is a city that eats late, dances late and argues about football passionately, and its nightlife reflects that mix. It suits visitors who are happy to start slowly, stay out past midnight and let the evening drift; it is less suited to those who want everything wrapped up by eleven.
Where to go out in Buenos Aires
1. Milongas
A milonga is both a place where tango is danced and a style of tango itself, and it is the most authentic way to spend an evening with the dance. Daytime "matinée milongas" usually begin in the early afternoon and run until around 20:00–22:00, which suits visitors who would rather not stay up until dawn; night milongas start around 23:00, fill up nearer 01:30 and can continue until 05:00 or 06:00. Venues named in the sources include Salon Canning, El Beso and Porteño y Bailarin, and Confitería Ideal on Suipacha, just off Corrientes near Calle Florida, is described as a good place to watch authentic tango.
Inside a milonga you will find locals willing to show you how to dance, so it suits both confident dancers and complete beginners. A free distribution guide, the TangoMap Guide, lists milongas day by day with times and locations, and also covers teachers and tango shops.
2. Tango schools and lessons
If you would rather learn before you dance in public, group lessons are offered at many studios, including the Centro Cultural Borges on the top floor of the Galerías Pacífico, the mall near Calle Florida on San Martín. The entrance can be hard to find, so ask the security officer for the "Escuela de Tango"; the rooms can get very hot in summer.
Private lessons are the quickest route, whether or not you have a partner, and instructors' rates vary widely. Two tango-oriented hotels, Caserón Porteño and Tango Lodge, offer daily group lessons that are free for their guests.
3. Football matches
An evening or afternoon at a football match is one of the city's great atmospheres, with fans singing throughout. The match between Boca Juniors and River Plate, the Superclásico, is the hardest ticket in the city and one of the most intense rivalries anywhere, with violent confrontations between fans a regular occurrence; tickets often need to be bought well in advance.
For a match on your own, the sources suggest River Plate in the northern suburb of Belgrano rather than a Boca Juniors game, and advise a grandstand (platea) ticket over the terraces (populares) so you can safely take a camera. Tourists are often advised to attend Boca Juniors games with large organised groups with bilingual guides, and to go with a friend or a local you trust who knows the area and the match-day routine.
4. LGBT venues and services
Buenos Aires has become a popular destination among LGBT travellers and is described as the gay capital of South America, with same-sex marriage legal in the country. In the central districts most people are helpful and amiable, and there are many gay-oriented services to help you plan your stay, including accommodation such as BA4U Apartments.
This suits visitors who want a central, welcoming base from which to explore the rest of the city's nightlife.
5. Wine tastings
Argentina is known for its wine, particularly from Mendoza, and the easiest way to work through the range of Argentine varietals is a tasting. Quite a few companies and bars around the city offer them.
This is a good choice for an early, seated evening that still feels like an occasion, and for anyone who wants to learn something rather than simply drink.
6. Polo at Las Cañitas
The largest polo tournament of the year takes place in December at the polo fields in Las Cañitas, where smaller tournaments and matches can be seen at other times of the year. The Asociación Argentina de Polo carries news on tournaments and tickets.
Several operators run polo days with transport from downtown, typically a drive of about 45 minutes: Polo Elite offers lessons for beginners and guided trips to matches; Argentina Polo Day runs professional games every day of the year plus lessons and a full-day programme with an Argentine barbecue; Puesto Viejo Polo Days collects participants from the city for a full day at a countryside estancia. These suit a daytime or early-evening outing rather than a late night.
7. Gaucho parties
A gaucho night means riding horses, eating traditional gaucho foods, drinking traditional gaucho wines and dancing in the older style, and it is a way to get out of the city and see another side of Argentine culture. It works for adults, children and anyone who ever wanted to be a cowboy.
Because it takes you out of the city, treat it as a day or an evening in itself rather than one stop on a longer night out.
How a night out unfolds
Dinner comes late, and the night's centre of gravity is later still. Matinée milongas run from the early afternoon until around 20:00–22:00, while night milongas begin around 23:00, do not fill up until about 01:30 and can run until 05:00 or 06:00. If you want to dance and still sleep, the daytime milongas are the practical option.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Carnival — Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday, in February.
- Polo tournament at Las Cañitas — December.
- National holidays that shape the calendar — Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity in October, National Sovereignty Day in November, Immaculate Conception and Christmas Day in December, and New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at the turn of the year.
Frequently asked questions
When do people go out at night?
Late. Night milongas start around 23:00 but only fill up around 01:30, and they may continue until 05:00 or 06:00. If that is too late, the matinée milongas run from the early afternoon until roughly 20:00–22:00.
Can I watch or learn tango without a partner?
Yes. Locals in the milongas are often willing to show visitors how to dance, and private lessons are described as the quickest way to learn even if you do not have a partner. Group lessons are also offered at many studios, including the Centro Cultural Borges.
Is it safe to go to a football match on my own?
It can be dangerous for tourists to attend on their own depending on the stadium. Tourists are often advised to go with large organised groups with bilingual guides, particularly to a Boca Juniors game; if you go independently, River Plate in Belgrano is the suggested choice, with a grandstand ticket rather than a terrace place.
How do I find out which milongas are on during my stay?
The TangoMap Guide, a free distribution guide, lists milongas day by day with times and locations, and also covers tango teachers and tango shops.
Decide in advance whether your evening ends at a milonga near dawn or at a matinée in the afternoon, then plan the rest of your night around that.