Get Out! Big stages, strong coffee and cool fairs
Buenos Aires HeraldUpdated 6 hours Ago6 Mins read
Buenos Aires has a little bit of everything on the cultural calendar this week, whether you want theater, films, fairs, coffee or live music. FIBA brings 12 days of top-tier international and local theater performances, while Exigí Buen Café gathers coffee producers, tastings and barista competitions at La Rural. Burgermania offers a citywide burger hunt, and the enduring community film festival VECINE puts independent Argentine cinema on neighborhood screens.
Add cemetery evenings, creative fairs and concerts by Al Di Meola, John Summit and others, and there are plenty of ways to fill the week without staying home.
As always, the Herald’s got you covered.
FIBA — Buenos Aires International Theater Festival
Sept. 9 to 20
Venues across Buenos Aires
Information and tickets: fiba.ar
Theater takes over Buenos Aires for 12 days as the Buenos Aires International Theater Festival returns with a packed program of performances, premieres, and experimental work. The festival opens with Robert Wilson’s Dorian, his stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, at Teatro Coliseo. French choreographer Rachid Ouramdane closes the festival on Sept. 20 with Contre-nature at Teatro San Martín’s Sala Coronado.
This year’s program features 17 international and 29 local projects, alongside eight works in progress and 15 special activities. The catalog and daily program are available on FIBA’s website.
Exigí Buen Café
September 13 and 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last entry call: 7:30 p.m.)
La Rural, Pabellón Ocre (Av. Sarmiento 2704)
Tickets starting at AR$18,000
Buenos Aires’ coffee scene takes over La Rural this September as Exigí Buen Café returns for its biggest edition yet. The two-day festival will bring more than 100 coffee brands and producers from Argentina and around the world to 5,000 square meters of tastings, workshops and competitions.
Visitors can sample coffees from different origins, join free workshops on grinding and brewing, and watch the country’s top baristas compete in national contests for barista skills, latte art, filtered coffee and roasting. There will also be talks on global coffee trends and a market of gourmet products.
For something beyond the cup, sommeliers and baristas will explore coffee-and-wine pairings, while sensory challenges put visitors’ palates to the test. More than 30,000 coffee lovers are expected over the weekend, with coffee tastings included in admission.
Fiesta SUMA + Acuario
Sept. 12, midnight to 6 a.m.
La Nube Buenos Aires (Av. Int. Güiraldes 2851)
Tickets: via link in Instagram bios
Lomito-kings Suma and coolest downtown bar Acuario join forces for a late-night party at La Nube Buenos Aires, bringing together friends, 2000s hits and reggaetón for six hours on the dance floor. Three DJs from the two bars — Fede Giacomoney, Sol Buenader and I. Claisse — will take turns in the booth, while the bar serves a special menu of cocktails and signature drinks from both venues throughout the night.
The organizers aren’t saying whether the party will return, so this may be a one-off worth catching. Ticket prices increase as the date approaches.
Burgermania Signature Edition
Sept. 15 to 17
Locations across Buenos Aires and the suburbs
Combos: AR$12,500 in PBA; AR$13,500 in CABA
Argentina’s burger culture gets its own three-day celebration as Burgermania returns for its ninth edition with a new Signature Edition. Rather than gathering restaurants under one roof, the festival sends diners on a citywide burger crawl, with participating spots creating an original burger exclusively for the occasion.
Each proposal comes with fries and a drink. Combos can be purchased in advance through Passline, where customers select both the restaurant and day. Each purchase includes a QR code to present at the chosen venue.
More information can be found on Burgermania’s website.
Cemetery evenings
Sept. 12, 7 p.m., at San Isidro Cemetery (Don Bosco, 530)
Sept. 13, 6 p.m., at British Cemetery (Av. Elcano 4568)
Limited capacity / registration required
Two Buenos Aires-area cemeteries offer very different ways to spend the weekend. On Sept. 12, a new theater production inspired by Las Chicas premieres at San Isidro Cemetery, turning the historic grounds into the setting for an immersive experience.
The following night, the British Cemetery hosts a guided tour exploring the stories of notable figures buried there, as well as others whose lives deserve to be remembered. Back at the chapel, actors Rosca Lunática and Javier L. Galvagni will perform Textos Malditos, a selection of dark works by writers and poets, with visitors also invited to join the readings.
FAIRS
Tremenda Feria
Sept. 13, 1 to 6 p.m.
Central Newbery (Av. Jorge Newbery 3599, Chacarita)
Free admission
Tremenda Feria returns to Chacarita with 64 projects showcasing graphic art and design. Browse printed art, handmade goods and other creative finds, with food, drinks and specialty coffee available throughout the afternoon.
From 1 to 3 p.m., chef Belén G. will fire up the grill outside for choripán, including a vegetarian option. Later, from 4 to 5 p.m., Fina Estampa Grabado will screen-print this edition’s illustration, with free posters available or the option to bring a light-colored garment, paper or fabric to print.
An all-day drinks bar and specialty coffee will keep visitors refreshed, while the first 200 will receive a free sticker.
Feria y Memoria
Sept. 12, 2 to 8 p.m.
Espacio Memoria (ex ESMA, Av. del Libertador 8151)
Free admission
Espacio Memoria opens its doors for Feria y Memoria, an afternoon of music, art, food and remembrance marking 50 years since Noche de los Lápices. The Casa de la Militancia-H.I.J.O.S. will host live sets by La Chilinga, Las Paritarias, Fonso Fonsi, La Mocosa, Bermejo, Trifurcados, Polvorín and Amables Ciudadanos.
The event will also feature exhibitions and activities by human rights organizations, a popular and cooperative economy fair, a graphic and print art fair, and an open-air radio broadcast. Food and drinks will be available at Eterna Brotas Bar Cultural.
Treasures in Fábrica de Estampas
Sept. 10 to 13, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fábrica de Estampas (Nahuel Huapi 4699)
Free admission
The delightful Fábrica de Estampas, in Coghlan, organizes its Treasures Fair, offering a curated selection of books, zines, printed art, crafts and wonderful objects. A feast of craftwork, neighborhood effervescence, and local industry, against the constant menacing reach of IA-driven catalogs of nameless Temu and Shein products.
FILM
Fiesta del cine
Sept. 10–16
20 participating cinemas across Buenos Aires
Tickets: AR$5,000
Going to the movies gets a little easier on the wallet during La Fiesta del Cine, with 20 cinemas across Buenos Aires offering tickets for AR$5,000 for one week. The program brings together new releases, films currently in theaters and special re-releases, including titles returning to select participating cinemas. It’s a chance to catch up on the big screen without the usual ticket price, whether you’re after the latest release or a film you missed the first time around.
Check the festival’s website for the full program and participating cinemas, or use its map to find a theater near you.
Vecine community film festival
Sept. 10–16
Different venues in Villa Crespo
Free admission; voluntary contributions welcome
For one week, VECINE turns Villa Crespo neighborhood into a window onto Argentina’s independent film scene. The festival brings together a selection of Argentine short and feature films competing for awards decided by audience vote, along with special screenings and activities that extend beyond the films themselves. The program includes films by Cecilia Kang, Lucía Seles, and Ana García Blaya, as well as Ramiro Sonzini and Exequiel Salinas’ The Night is Fading Away.
Created to strengthen connections between local communities and the arts, VECINE offers a showcase for independent filmmakers and cultural workers at a challenging time for the sector. Admission is free, though voluntary contributions help keep the festival going. Visitors can choose how much to give when reserving tickets or through the festival’s donation button, with no minimum contribution.
MUSIC
Al Di Meola
September 12-13, 9 p.m.
La Trastienda (Balcarce 460)
Admission AR$80,000-140,000
A true guitar hero visits Buenos Aires with his new project The Guitarchitect Acoustic Ensemble, along Barcelona guitar prodigy Isaac Ramagoza and percussion maestro Sergio Martinez.
Di Meola’s career spans more than four decades and 30+ albums as a leader, in addition to fusion supergroup Return to Forever (with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White), Guitar Trio (John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía), and the Rite of Strings trio (Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty).
Broke Carrey
September 12, 9 p.m.
Niceto Club (Niceto Vega 5510)
Admission AR$25,000
One of the emerging voices of Argentina’s contemporary music scene presents his new album Hijo del país, that brings traditional folklore sounds into dialogue with his hip-hop and rap background.
John Summit
September 12, 9 p.m.
Mandarin Tent (Punta Carrasco)
Admission AR$ 74,500
After closing the mega-electronic festival Ultra in Miami, this respected American DJ and producer reaches Buenos Aires with his trademark blend of house, tech house and melodic electronic music, recently showcased in his new album CTRL ESCAPE.
Nicolás Pauls
September 12, 6 p.m.
Palacio Libertad Salón de Honor (Sarmiento 151)
Free admission, limited tickets handed from 4 p.m. at box office
TV host, singer, composer and producer of the “Canciones de cuna” project with lyrics by street kids and music by celebrated stars, Pauls presents songs from his solo career and his future album, Desnudez. The band includes José Balé, Víctor Silione and Alejandro Corvalán.
Tribute to Spinetta
September 10, 8.45 p.m.
Berlín Café (Av. San Martín 6656)
Admission AR$30,000
Tribute band L.A.S. Habladurías will celebrate 45 years of the release of the album Los niños que escriben en el cielo by Spinetta Jade, the legendary band led by Argentine rock pioneer Luis Alberto Spinetta. The show will include special guest Leo Sujatovich, the original keyboard player.
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