Get Out!: Charly’s birthday, Korean fest and Borges

Getting accustomed to El Niño-sponsored unstable weather means leaving your options open, and this weekend luckily provides the opportunity to try many different things in Buenos Aires. 

A week of tributes to legendary musician Charly García is just the tip of the cultural iceberg. The Festival Borges returns with six days of talks, performances and literary detours, while major LGBTIQ+ film festival Astersco brings queer stories from Argentina and abroad to screens across Buenos Aires. 

Riding the BTS wave? Hanguk Fest offers K-pop performances, traditional crafts, Korean food and beauty products. Noche de las Embajadas opens another kind of window on the world, with guided visits, music, dance and tastings at more than 20 diplomatic and cultural venues.

And if all that culture works up an appetite, pull up a chair for collaborative winery dinners or head to Chacarita for wood-fired pizza, specialty coffee and a birthday party with a creative twist.

As always, the Herald’s got you covered.

Hanguk Fest brings Korean culture to Chacarita Sunday, October 25, noon–7 p.m.
Parque Los Andes (Av. Corrientes and Jorge Newbery)
Admission: Free

With BTS wrapping up its first visit to Argentina just a day earlier, Hanguk Fest invites Buenos Aires to keep celebrating Korean culture. The free festival will feature more than 50 stands offering traditional food, K-beauty products and merchandise, alongside music, dance and family-friendly activities. Part of Tecweek 2026, the festival celebrates the Hallyu, or Korean wave, that has brought the country’s music, food, fashion and entertainment to audiences worldwide.

Food options start at AR$10,000, while beauty brands KoraSkinLab and Skinko will showcase Korean cosmetics. Influencer Filum will discuss hanbok, Korea’s traditional clothing, and creator Luisina Delulu will share tips for discovering K-dramas. 

The main stage will host K-pop competitions, choreography classes, DJ sets and a BTS tribute by Korem and Mati Pergolini. Traditional performances include Korean dance and percussion, Yoon Company Danza Coreana and Nuripae Samulnori. Visitors can also try Korean calligraphy, brush lettering and traditional knot-making. 

Charly turns 75: a citywide celebration October 22 to 25
Several venues
Free admission, reservations required at some venues

Argentine rock icon Charly García turns 75 this week, and Buenos Aires is celebrating with concerts, talks, reinterpretations of his songs and a special book selection honoring one of the country’s greatest musical innovators. 

“Semana Charly” will bring activities to venues across the city, including Parque Centenario’s amphitheater, Casa de la Cultura, Centro Cultural Recoleta, Museo de la Ciudad, Usina del Arte and Centro Cultural 25 de Mayo.

On Friday, pianist, singer and composer Alina Gandini presents Gracias García, a journey through Charly’s compositions, at 7 p.m. in the Golden Hall of Casa de la Cultura (Av. de Mayo 575). More information at casadelaculturaba.org. 

Later, at 8 p.m., Marina Wil performs Las canciones más lindas de Charly García at Usina del Arte, accompanied by a string quartet and pianist Ian Schifres, with Pablo Granados as a special guest. Advance reservations are required at usinadelarte.ar.

Tour the world at Noche de las Embajadas October 24, 6–10 p.m.
Admission: Free; reservations required at most venues

More than 20 embassies, diplomatic residences and cultural centers will open their doors for Noche de las Embajadas (Night of the Embassies), offering a chance to explore the world without leaving Buenos Aires. The program includes guided tours, live music, traditional dance, tastings and exhibitions.

Highlights include a visit to Palacio Álvear, home to the Italian Embassy, Spain’s diplomatic residence, an exhibition on inventor Nikola Tesla at the Serbian Embassy and a passport-stamping activity at the Paraguayan Embassy. 

Most activities require advance booking, and spaces are limited. Check availability and register through Eventbrite.

René Goscinny’s Buenos Aires years Oct. 22, 6 p.m.  
Museo Judío de Buenos Aires (Libertad 769)  
Free admission, advance registration required

Before becoming one of the world’s most beloved comic-book writers and creator of classics like Astérix and Lucky Luke, René Goscinny was a Buenos Aires kid. Born in Paris in 1926, he moved to Argentina with his family before turning two, studied at the city’s French Lycée and lived here until 1945. 

This exhibition explores his formative years in Buenos Aires, where his passion for drawing and humor took shape. Through archival documents, illustrations and objects, it reconstructs the city’s cultural landscape in the 1930s and 1940s, including Jewish community life and the golden age of Argentine comics and graphic humor. 

Borges Festival October 26–31
Alianza Francesa (Av. Córdoba 946) and online
Admission: Free; advance registration required at festivalborges.com.ar

The sixth Festival Borges celebrates the Argentine literary giant with six days of talks, performances and activities marking the 40th anniversary of his death. The hybrid program features in-person events at the Alianza Francesa and online discussions with international guests, including New York novelist and essayist Siri Hustvedt. Argentine writers Luisa Valenzuela, Sylvia Iparraguirre and Juan Sasturain are among the local participants. 

This year’s themes range from humor, fantasy and Borges’ friendship with Adolfo Bioy Casares to Homer’s “Odyssey”, James Joyce, Ireland and Christopher Nolan’s films. The Experiencia Borges program adds a literary walking tour through Buenos Aires, a poetry-and-music show, a tango tribute and a conversation with artist and engineer Joaquín Fargas about “El libro absoluto”, an art-and-technology creation inspired by Borges’ stories “The Library of Babel” and “The Book of Sand”.

 All activities are free, with advance registration required for both in-person and virtual events.

Gastro Japo Food Week + Yatai Fest Oct. 28–Nov. 8
Japanese restaurants across Argentina

“Tabemashou,” or “let’s eat,” is the invitation behind the eighth edition of Gastro Japo Food Week, a nationwide celebration of Japanese cuisine organized by Club Gastro Japo. Participating restaurants and food businesses will serve special menus and offer promotions, giving diners a chance to discover new spots or revisit old favorites. Unlike a food fair confined to one location, this event unfolds across restaurants in different cities and provinces. Find participants on the interactive map.

For a taste of what’s coming, head to the Japanese Garden on October 24–25, where more than 20 businesses will serve upward of 50 dishes at a street-food fair inspired by Japan’s traditional yatai stalls. General admission is AR$8,000 for Argentine residents and AR$24,000 for nonresidents.

FILM John Carpenter’s Vampires on 35mm October 25, 6 p.m.
Cine York (Juan Bautista Alberdi 895, Olivos)

John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998) gets a 35mm screening, bringing its dusty, blood-soaked blend of western, action and horror to the big screen. Armed hunters, bloodthirsty creatures and a frontier ruled by the dead and synthesizers set the scene as Carpenter turns gothic tradition into something physical, dirty and brutal. Jack Crow, whose parents were killed by vampires, is on a mission to recover an ancient Catholic relic that would allow the creatures to walk in daylight. Forget the capes: Carpenter’s vampires need dust, stakes, songs and, better yet, a shotgun.

BITBANG: Animated worlds October 27 to 31
Several venues
Admission: Free for most screenings and talks; workshops and parties require paid tickets

Argentina’s independent animation scene takes center stage at the 12th BITBANG, the five-day animation film festival happening across seven Buenos Aires venues, including Cine Gaumont and Club Lucero. The program features short films, premieres, competitions, retrospectives, workshops, masterclasses, talks, graphic art fairs, video games, art installations and, yes!, parties. 

International and Latin American competition screenings include films making their Argentine or Latin American premieres, with the winning short eligible to seek an Academy Award nomination. 

Confirmed guests include Spanish director Alberto Vázquez, illustrator Bea Lema, Swiss filmmaker Frederic Siegel and Argentine director Camila Kater. This year also introduces PIBIT BANG, a new section for children, inviting younger audiences. Most screenings and talks are free, while workshops and parties require paid tickets. On Friday, October 30, La Paz Arriba hosts BIT BINGO MUSICAL, a music bingo night with prizes, Juan Vegetal and La Xina Ocho.

Asterisco LGBTIQ+ film fest  October 22 to November 1
MALBA (Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415), Museo del Cine, Universidad del Cine and Fundación Proa, among others

The city’s queer film scene takes center stage as the Asterisco LGBTIQ+ film festival returns with a packed program of Argentine and international cinema, world premieres, special guests and live music. 

Directed by Diego Trerotola, the festival spans several venues, including MALBA, which will host international premieres, the Argentine feature competition, and a retrospective of pioneering filmmaker Rafael Maino. It will also revisit three films by former festival director Albertina Carri that form an unusual trilogy. Spain’s “Siemprevivas”, directed by Mar López Zapata, opens the festival, while France’s “Art, Chaos, Riot,” by Carmina and Sören Brûlé, closes it. 

Competition highlights include Diego Stickar’s experimental Ruge, which reclaims obsolete technology, and “Vorágine”, Daniela Escolar and Paula Monesterolo’s portrait of young dancers in post-pandemic Buenos Aires. Documentaries include “Soy ella”, about local queer icon La Kalo, and “Lo Noy”, about poet and performer Fernando Noy. Free screenings and surprises round out the program.

POP UPS Shared table: Piedra Infinita Cocina and Bravado Wednesday, October 28, 8 p.m.
Bravado (Av. del Libertador 1410, Vicente López)
Price: AR$120,000. Reservations: Meitre

Bravado Bravado welcomes Piedra Infinita Cocina, the restaurant of Zuccardi Valle de Uco, for the fifth edition of La Mesa Compartida, a collaborative dinner series bringing together wineries and guest kitchens. The teams have created a multi-course menu celebrating Argentine ingredients, regional produce and seasonal flavors, paired with wines from Patagonia’s Bodega Del Fin Del Mundo and Mendoza’s Zuccardi Valle de Uco. Based in Paraje Altamira, Piedra Infinita Cocina has been led since this year by chef Julio Báez, also at the helm of Buenos Aires restaurant Julia, alongside Aurora García Huescas and Diego Rodríguez. Their culinary approach reflects the restaurant’s origins, with food and wine working together to express the character of the land. Valet parking is included, with access via Vergara Street.

Wood-fired pizza and coffee for Nómada’s fifth birthday Saturday, October 24, noon–8 p.m.
Nómada (Av. Jorge Newbery 3719,)

Eléctrica Pizza joins specialty coffee shop Nómada to celebrate its fifth anniversary with a pop-up devoted to wood-fired pies. The menu features five varieties, including Argenta with mozzarella, tomato sauce and green olives; Magic Mushroom with portobello and pine mushrooms and truffle oil; and 4 Fantásticos, loaded with four cheeses and citrus syrup. Nómada will also serve specialty coffee, pastries, cakes, wine and vermouth. The celebration includes an open studio by VK. HOME and a vinyl DJ set by Juan Innato.

Crossfire: Hierro and Fogón Asado October 28, 8 p.m.
Hierro Bodegón (Fitz Roy 1722)
Price: AR$120,000. Reservations: +54 9 11 2501-9277

Two names in Argentine fire cooking come together for Fuegos Cruzados, a special dinner bringing Hierro Casa de Fuego and Fogón Asado into the kitchen at Hierro Bodegón. The five-course menu will explore different cuts of meat, grilling techniques and contemporary takes on traditional asado, featuring selected Muge beef and wines chosen to pair with each dish. Hierro, known for its carefully sourced meats and charcoal and quebracho cooking, joins Fogón Asado, led by chef Sebastián Cardamoni and celebrated for its intimate, counter-style tasting experience. Limited seats are available.

MUSIC BTS October 21-23-24, 9 p.m.
Estadio Unico, La Plata
Admission: AR$225,000-425,000

K-pop superstars reach Argentina with their popularity craze at the highest level. The “Arirang World Tour” reunited the band after spending a year at military training. Saturday’s show will also reach cinemas at Cinemark and Cinepolis theaters.

Rebecca Winckworth’s Irish songs 

Oct. 28, 8 p.m.
British Arts Centre (Suipacha 1333)
Tickets via Passline

From Ireland to Argentina, singer Rebecca Winckworth explores what it means to find a home far from home. Her show, HOME: De Irlanda a Argentina, blends original compositions, traditional Irish favorites and Latin American melodies, performed in English and Spanish, with personal stories of migration and identity. 

Rebecca brings her national tour to Buenos Aires alongside pianist and musical director Alejandro Darío Cattaneo and a five-piece ensemble, with special guest Rowina Casey and Orquesta Liria. 

Las Migas October 21-22-23, 8 p.m.
La Trastienda (Balcarce 460)

Twice winners of the Latin Grammy in the flamenco category, the all-female band is touring their 2025 album “Flamencas”.

Jovanotti October 22,  9 p.m.
Teatro Coliseo (Marcelo T. de Alvear 1155)
Admission: AR$70,000-160,000

Popular Italian singer and rapper performs in Buenos Aires as part of his ongoing international tour dates following his “Jova Summer Party” run in Europe.

Metrópoli October 24, 9 p.m.
Teatro ND Ateneo (Paraguay 918)
Admission: AR$38,000-60,000

Isabel de Sebastián revives legendary 80s rock-pop band. with special guests Diego Frenkel, Fabiana Cantilo, Leo García and Quique Mugetti.

Dave Evans October 23, 9 p.m.
Teatro ND Ateneo (Paraguay 918)
Admission: AR$45,000-65,000

AC/DC’s first singer is 73 years-old and keeps rocking around the world, spending many weeks every year in Buenos Aires’s Temperley suburb. This concert closes his 2026 tour.