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

On Tuesday, May 19, Ultramarinos welcomes chef Marcello Elefoso from Buri Omakase for a new edition of Cool Lab, its collaboration series with fellow chefs. The special menu combines Argentine seafood with Japanese tradition: oysters with yuzukoshō, king crab handrolls, squid and chistorra bocata, pacú ribs with yakiniku, and conchiglioni with shrimp tartare and guanciale, among other daily specials. Everything is paired with cocktails and wines by the glass while Javier Zuker spins vinyl in the background. A night to build your own menu at your own pace.

Good to know: you can reserve your table through this link.

Where: Arribeños 1980.

On Wednesday, May 20, from 8pm to 1am, La Noche de los Juegos offers a playful nighttime circuit through some of Buenos Aires’ most entertaining bars.

The route includes all three Jobs venues, each with its own personality: the Boedo location adds pool, ping pong, and archery to the classic board game lineup; Palermo’s Jobs Arcade features retro games like Daytona, pinball, shuffleboard, and dance machines; while the new Núñez venue offers a phono bar, Scalextric tracks, and bowling. There’s also El Destello in Palermo, with its retro-futuristic neon aesthetic and classic arcade machines — Pac-Man, Street Fighter II, Tetris, Snow Bros — transporting you straight back to the 1980s. The legendary Café San Bernardo, affectionately known as “Sanber,” brings its truco tables, billiards, and ping pong into the mix. And Bar Ping Pong, with venues in Núñez and Belgrano, rounds out the route with free play and the kind of neighborhood bar atmosphere where something fun always ends up happening. The route is yours: stop wherever you want and build your own perfect game night.

Good to know: at each stop, you’ll be able to collect exclusive commemorative tokens. Complete at least four stops to unlock the grand prize.

Where: various bars across the city.

A play arriving from Cyprus that also speaks to Argentina. On Thursday, May 21 at 8pm, País amargo premieres at Teatro Sarmiento, a piece by Cypriot playwright Constantia Soteriou with interventions and direction by Alfredo Staffolani. Following opening night, performances continue May 22, 23, and 24.

Also of interest: Off Theater in Buenos Aires: 16 Plays to See

This testimonial fiction explores war, friendship, and loss. Four women accompany their friend Spasoula during her final moments, and from that waiting emerge fragmented testimonies about the conflict between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, which between 1963 and 1974 left more than two thousand people missing. Staffolani intervenes in the text with echoes of recent Argentine history, opening a dialogue between two wounds that still haven’t fully healed. The cast includes Florencia Bergallo, Laura Nevole, Julia Gárriz, Eugenia López, and Lola Sierra.

Good to know: tickets are available through this link.

Where: Av. Sarmiento 2715.

This week brings an unmissable plan for anyone willing to leave the city and discover new flavors. On Thursday, May 21 starting at 8:30pm, Estancia Vigil in Los Cardales hosts a unique one-night-only dinner: the first Six Hands Menu bringing together chef Diego Irato with Pedro and Luciano Picciau from Italpast. Six courses paired with wines from Bodega Catena Zapata — from a DV Catena Blanco Histórico to a Saint Felicien Semillon Doux — featuring dishes such as stracciatella with zucchini and peperoncino, cavatelli with mushrooms and black truffle oil, and eight-hour braised short ribs. One night only, limited seating, and just 60 kilometers outside the city.

Good to know: reservations can be made via WhatsApp at +54 11 2306-5506 or by email at reservas@estanciavigil.com.

Where: Ruta 9, km 60, Los Cardales.

On Thursday, May 21 at 8pm, Centro Cultural Borges hosts the band Camionero as part of the Antídoto series, a live music program curated by Matías Messoulam that has been showcasing the best of Buenos Aires’ independent scene.

This guitar-and-drums duo is rooted in rock and roll and blues, while adding a contemporary edge that has made them one of the most exciting acts in Argentina’s underground music scene. Live energy, honest identity, and the intimacy only a cultural venue concert can provide.

Good to know: up to two tickets per person are distributed before the performance at the Information Desk (first floor).

Where: Viamonte 525.

On Thursday, May 21 at 6pm, Centro Cultural Recoleta simultaneously opens three exhibitions exploring literature, recent history, and contemporary art. The most anticipated is Borges: ecos de un nombre, a comprehensive tribute commemorating the 40th anniversary of the death of the author of Ficciones, featuring personal objects, manuscripts, first editions, photographs, an animated hologram, and a reading space.

The second exhibition, Hijos de la Luna by Eduardo Molinari, revisits 1970s youth culture and the intersection between rock music and revolutionary activism through vintage magazines and underground graphic material.

Also of interest: 15 Places to Eat Really Well in Buenos Aires for Under $30,000

The third, Entusiasmo público by Liv Schulman — her first institutional solo exhibition in Buenos Aires — explores language as a political technology using humor and absurdity as tools.

The exhibitions can be visited Tuesday through Friday from noon to 9pm, and weekends and holidays from 11am to 9pm.

Good to know: admission is free.

Where: Junín 1930.

You provide the story, they turn it into theater. On Friday, May 22 at 8pm, Palacio Libertad hosts Improcrash — one of Argentina’s best-known improv groups, with performances across Europe and Latin America — with their show Catarsis.

The concept is simple and addictive: the audience shares anecdotes, confessions, and desires, and the actors instantly transform them into improvised scenes blending truth, fiction, and humor in proportions that change every night. An experience where you never quite know what’s going to happen — and that’s exactly the point.

Where: Sarmiento 151.

Buenos Aires’ most iconic monument turns ninety, and the city is celebrating in style. On Saturday, May 23, the heart of Corrientes Avenue becomes the stage for a massive celebration combining history, art, and live music.

The centerpiece of the night is a 3D mapping show projected onto the Obelisk, tracing its history alongside that of Buenos Aires itself. Surrounding it, a special edition of Corrientes 24HS stretches from Callao to Cerrito with live performances, roaming artists, and surprises. Restaurants, bars, and theaters throughout the area will stay open until 2am. One of those nights that reminds you why living in this city feels so unique.

Good to know: the subway system will extend service until 3am to help accommodate the thousands of people expected in the area.

Where: Avenida 9 de Julio and Avenida Corrientes, and surrounding areas.

Tango, technology, and emotion mark the reopening of one of Buenos Aires’ most emblematic theaters. On Sunday, May 24, Mora Godoy — an internationally acclaimed ambassador of Argentine tango, celebrated across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East — performs alongside her company La Máquina Tanguera and the Orquesta Ensamble Aeropuertos Argentina at Teatro Santa María, reopening its doors to the public.

Also of interest: One-on-One with Leisure: Soul-Pop and Football Ahead of Their Argentina Debut

The show incorporates artificial intelligence into the choreography for the first time and includes a moving tribute to her father and lifelong mentor, Ico Godoy, set to Astor Piazzolla’s Adiós Nonino. As a bonus, everyone with a ticket can join a free dance class with members of the company at 6pm.

Good to know: tickets are available through this link.

Where: Montevideo 842.

A national holiday celebration unlike any other. On Monday, May 25, La Quince Cooperativa Cultural hosts 3d2 Chacatrap and Zoe Nisenson for a night blending folklore, electronic music, and performance art. Two live sets combining roots and avant-garde energy with the intensity both artists bring to the stage. It’s 3d2’s first Buenos Aires show of the year and Zoe’s last one for a while — more than enough reason not to miss it. The ritual is completed with locro, wine, and, after midnight, a party led by DJ Ani Zucco. May 25 the way it should be.

Good to know: tickets are available through this link.

Where: Av. Corrientes 5426.