Buenos Aires - nightlife

In deep pockets of my backpack I found teared out articles about Buenos Aires that I have been carrying around South America with me for three months. Having been here already two weeks, it was interesting to compare my first impression with the impression of the city articles are trying to build.

All articles but one were talking about tango. They identify Buenos Aires with tango, they recommended tango, they focused on tango. I actually forgot all about tango until I picked up those article clips. I did not see tango and I did not feel tango in the air. I just saw a very crazy city.

They say New York never sleeps. Well, compared to Buenos Aires, New York never even woke up. Nightlife is beyond insane here, it is unbelievably busy. I was ready for "eat dinner at 11 pm, go out at 2 am" schedule, but I did not anticipate "cannot get into club at 5 am - get in line".

No bottle service bullshit here, everybody dances!

Popular events weekly gather hundreds and thousands of people each day of the week! Big nights at club form lines I have never seen in my life. I though that only applied to clubs. No, bars are also packed at 5 am. Here one can party non-stop, especially from Thursday till Sunday night with a number of after hour clubs properly spinning the beats.

We are 10 people in the house. If we all go out to different venues, each of one of us reports back a packed club or bar or restaurant. It might be the culture, the number of bars/clubs, or the number of young people in Buenos Aires, but I cannot explain this phenomena.

The place to go on Monday is KONEX for the concent La Bomba de Tiempo. The performance space in a former warehouse gets packed by 5,000 crazy youngsters dancing to drums. The party starts at 7 pm ends at 10 pm (it is Monday afterall). If you show up at 8 pm, you won't get in until 9:30 pm (if ever) as the line hugs almost three blocks.




Club Museo is packed on Wednesday nights with after work party, so is Shamrock on Thursday on a slightly smaller scale. Club Niceto in Palermo Hollywood hosts the fabulous Club 69 on Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays are just big nights everywhere with dozens of clubs in all parts of towns.

Special events such as James Zabiela last Saturday pack exhibition halls. I can only imagine insanity in Buenos Aires for Creamfields 2008 in November.

A great website for the ones appreciating electronic music with daily event listings in Buenos Aires is Buenos Aliens (in Spanish).

So, tango. Besides street performers in San Telmo and La Boca I have not seen tango and do not have any regrets. I am happy to have experienced the energy of the city in its winter mode.