What to Do During the Week & the Weekend in Buenos Aires

Get ready for a week of getting lost in an infinite library. From October 26 to 31, Festival Borges and Experiencia Borges bring together talks, music and walking tours in a hybrid edition featuring six in-person events and four virtual sessions streamed on YouTube. Guests include Siri Hustvedt and Carmen Boullosa, alongside Sylvia Iparraguirre, Luisa Valenzuela and Juan Sasturain. Topics range from humour and fantasy to Borges' friendship with Bioy Casares, the Odyssey and James Joyce.

Experiencia Borges also features an interview with Mauricio Kartun, the poetry and music performance La otra vereda, the tango show El coraje como herencia, a Borges-inspired walking tour through the city and a conversation with Joaquín Fargas about El libro absoluto.

Good to know: Admission is free, but advance registration is required through the festival's website.

Where: Av. Córdoba 946, Retiro.

On October 28, from 6pm to 9pm, more than 90 shops and showrooms across Distrito Arenales will turn the neighbourhood into a free open-air celebration under the theme "Folklore and Fantasy". Curated by Vic Tolomei and Atlántico Estudio, the event brings together artists, photographers, interior designers and creatives working in pairs to create elaborate banquets, installations, live music and theatrical displays across four themed routes: Habitats, Dreams, Metamorphosis and Mysticism.

Highlights include Casa Quintana, where Agustina Leguizamón will cover the façade with an enormous gauze installation. La Compañía will showcase a giant resin gorilla by Pablo Amoedo, Walmer will fill with César Lago's pink inflatables, and Deyá Antiques & Art will transform its window display into an imaginary underwater world. Don't miss Grand Brizo Bel Air, which is joining forces with Diderot.Art to showcase works by Amador Rojas, Mora Ludueña, Yaya Firpo and Adrián Perrone. Through painting and sculpture, the artists explore identity, memory and territory in dialogue with the hotel's architecture.

Good to know: Admission is free and open to everyone.

Where: Arenales and Juncal, between Montevideo, Cerrito and the surrounding streets, Recoleta.

Two fires, one table. On October 28 at 8pm, Hierro Casa de Fuegos and Fogón Asado are joining forces at Hierro Bodegón for a five-course dinner featuring Muge beef cuts, fire-cooking techniques and a glass of wine paired with every dish.

The menu takes diners from aged beef cecina with vine-grilled asparagus to oxtail croquettes, smoked flank steak and sirloin steak with griddled cabbage. Dessert is a date baba with dulce de leche semifreddo. Chefs Santiago Lambardi of Hierro and Sebastián Cardamoni of Fogón bring a contemporary approach to the experience. The dinner costs ARS $120,000 per person, with limited availability.

Good to know: Reservations can be made via WhatsApp at +54 9 11 2501-9277.

Where: Fitz Roy 1722, Palermo.

On October 29, from 7pm, La Capitana celebrates Argentina's beloved tradition of eating gnocchi on the 29th of every month with homemade gnocchi made from organic potatoes, flour and eggs, prepared in its own kitchen.

Choose from tomato sauce, béchamel, slow-cooked osso buco stew, Bolognese, Parisienne or Scarparo sauce. To accompany your meal, the vermouth bar serves signature cocktails including the Evita Capitana, Descamisada and Almagro Obrero. It's all served in a traditional Buenos Aires restaurant inspired by the 1940s and 1950s, with tango and bolero music playing in the background.

Good to know: La Capitana also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free alternatives.

Where: Guardia Vieja 4446, Almagro.

On October 30 at 10pm, Fuegos y Mona returns for its fifth edition, bringing together Mona Gallosi's signature cocktail bar and motorbike culture for a monthly celebration.

Expect music from Seba Pryce, blending hip-hop, house and Afro-inspired beats, motorbike displays, sizzling grills in the courtyard and cocktails such as the Gaucho (made with Johnnie Walker Black Label and lemon verbena) or the Carozo sin temporada (vodka, triple sec and raspberry).

Good to know: The venue has an industrial aesthetic inspired by New York.

Where: Fraga 93, Chacarita.

On October 30 at 10.30pm, Uruguayan musician Diego Presa presents Otra visión del monte, a ten-track album recorded in Buenos Aires that blends Río de la Plata musical traditions with atmospheric, late-night ballads.

He'll be joined on stage by Nahuel Roht, Federico Terranova and Ahmed Isa Juan Ravioli, who also produced the album. Expect acoustic guitars, violin, bouzouki, accordion and jaw harp. It's set to be an intimate, almost ritual-like evening, moving between reality and dreams.

Good to know: Tickets are available through Alternativa Teatral.

Where: Maza 177, Almagro.

Art is returning to La Rural. From October 30 to November 1, one of Latin America's most important art fairs is back for another edition, and this year is particularly special: the arteba Foundation is celebrating its 35th anniversary.

Inside the Yellow Pavilion, visitors can explore galleries from Argentina and around the world, featuring modern and contemporary art, special programmes and award ceremonies. It's a meeting point for collectors, curators, museum directors and curious art lovers alike.

Good to know: Tickets are available through All Access or the arteba website.

Where: Av. Sarmiento 2704, Palermo.

On October 30, from 10am to 10pm, WAIFF (World AI Film Festival Buenos Aires), the first international festival dedicated to films made with artificial intelligence, arrives at the Buenos Aires Convention Centre as part of Tecweek.

Founded in 2025 by Marco Landi, Apple's former chief operating officer, and supported by figures including James Cameron, Ron Howard and Gong Li, the festival features screenings, awards, talks, workshops and discussions on ethics. Films compete by country, with the top five from each advancing to the final at the Palais des Festivals, home of the Cannes Film Festival.

Where: Av. Figueroa Alcorta 2099, Recoleta.

On October 31 and November 1, Koko Bao Bar will be serving black bao buns throughout the day, complete with an extra helping of dripping red sriracha sauce that looks just like blood! Both evenings will also feature screenings of Halloween-themed films, including The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a deliciously spooky combination of Asian food, cinema and Halloween fun.

And if you fancy dressing up, all three Jobs Bar locations (Núñez, Palermo and Boedo) will host free costume competitions on October 31 from 8pm. Anyone arriving in costume gets a free beer, while prizes for the best outfits include board games to take home. There will also be Halloween cocktails and burgers.

Little ones can join in at the Núñez branch, which will open from noon to 7pm, offering a free ice cream alfajor to every child in costume. Depending on the location, you can also add pool, arcade games, bowling or a giant Scalextric track to your night.

Good to know: Halloween has its roots in Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year.

Where: Arévalo 1501, Palermo; El Salvador 4139, Palermo; Juana Azurduy 2453, Núñez; Carlos Calvo 3860, Boedo.

Twenty years after its premiere, No me dejes así returns to the stage with its original cast: Eugenia Guerty, Claudio Martínez Bel, César Bordón and Néstor Caniglia, directed by Enrique Federman, with writing contributions from Mauricio Kartun.

The play is a heartfelt encounter filled with unexpected humour and silences that speak louder than words. There are performances this week on Monday, October 26, and Saturday, October 31, and the play continues every Monday and Saturday throughout November.

Good to know: Tickets are available through the Timbre 4 website, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Where: México 3554, Boedo.

Weekends have a new ritual. Casa Planes serves brunch in two sittings, from 10am to 12.30pm and from 4pm to 7pm.

Start with a hot drink, freshly squeezed orange juice or Carpano vermouth with soda, yoghurt with granola and organic eggs cooked to your liking. Choose from bacon, shakshuka, Florentine-style eggs, Turkish eggs or scrambled eggs with avocado.

There are four menus: Eggs Brunch (ARS $32,000), OSD (ARS $33,000), English Muffin Brunch (ARS $37,000) and French Toast Brunch (ARS $39,000). Everything is served in a beautifully renovated house with a warm, relaxed atmosphere.

Where: Planes 1400, Caballito.