The city of Buenos Aires will breathe the spirit of tango this September 6 to 19, for the most important tango event in the world.

The Tango BA FestIval and World Championship is a celebration of the culture, history and identity of Buenos Aires, with more than 1,500 artists and 34 venues participating.

The festival fills these 2 weeks with: 

• Milongas
• Dance exhibitions
• Concerts
• Tributes
• Art exhibitions
• Classes
• Films
• Talks
• Book presentations
• and more! 

This annual event brings together the world’s most famous tango dancers and musicians, alongside thousands of amateurs and lovers of tango

More than 70,000 spectators are expected to visit the city, from loyal fans and lifelong tangueros, to newcomers and young people.

Whether you’re visiting in person or watching online, in this article you’ll find everything you need to know about the Tango BA Festival & World Championship.

The 2022 Tango World Championship

The Mundial de Tango (Tango World Championship) is the most prestigious international competition for tango dancers. 

Both amateurs and professionals compete to demonstrate their talent in two categories: Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario.

Tango de Pista, or Salon Tango, is improvisational, the kind of tango we dance socially. 

Tango Escenario, or Stage Tango, is choreographed and designed to be performed with a specific song. 

How The Competition Works 

In the preceding months, 24 preliminary competitions were held in different cities of Argentina and the world. The winning couples received direct passes to meet in Buenos Aires to join the local semifinalists in the advanced stages of the competition.

From these hundreds of dancers arriving to compete in the Tango Mundial, only 40 couples from Tango de Pista and 20 couples from Tango Escenario will reach the final round of this competition. 

Qualifying Rounds

The Tango de Pista qualifying rounds will be held on September 9 and 10, 2022 at the Usina del Arte. 

Each couple will dance twice, in a round of three tangos.
It will be evaluated by 10 jurors. 

The Tango Escenario qualifying rounds will take place on September 11 and 12, 2022 at the Usina del Arte.

Each couple will dance twice.
It will be evaluated by 10 jurors. 

Semifinals 

The Tango de Pista semifinal will be on September 14, 2022, at Usina del Arte and each couple will dance only once.
It will be evaluated by 6 jurors.

The Tango Escenario semifinal will be on September 15, 2022 at Usina del Arte. Each couple will dance only once.
It will be evaluated by 6 jurors.

Finals 

The Finals of both categories will take place on September 17, 2022. Each couple will dance only once, to be evaluated by 7 jurors.

Only 40 couples from Tango de Pista and 20 couples from Tango Escenario will move on to the final event to compete for the title of “Tango World Champions.” 

The Final Event 

The final event of the 2022 BA Festival & Tango World Championship will be at the Obelisco de Buenos Aires (the Obelisk of Buenos Aires), the city’s most famous historical monument, located in the Plaza de la República in the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio. 

The final 120 competing couples will dance on this iconic stage for a chance to win the title of “Tango World Champions” and a cash prize of ARS$ 200,000 per couple. 

The show will be broadcast live by the Government of Buenos Aires on their television and YouTube channels. 

The public will once again have the opportunity to vote for their favorite competitors through Citizen Participation.

Also a part of the festival, more than 80 artists from all over Argentina will join the stage to showcase the country’s different expressions and styles of tango. 

The 2022 Tango BA Festival

The Tango BA Festival shines a spotlight on Argentine culture with a sharp focus on tango music and dance. 

The tradition and history of tango are celebrated as well as the contemporary tango scene, which we see in the Tango World Championship.

Throughout the month of September, tango’s most established professionals mix with the newer generations. 

Different places all over the city participate in this festival – including bars, restaurants, theaters and cultural spaces. (See list below.)

However, the main venue of the festival is the Usina del Arte, located at Agustín R. Caffarena 1, in the neighborhood where the tango was first born in the 1900s.

The Festival’s Traveling Milonga

To include all the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the official Tango BA Festival Milonga will move every night to a new place, touring a total of 14 Buenos Aires milongas.

Milonga Venues Tango BA 2022

Tickets will be available 72 hours before each day’s event starting at 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, 6 September
22:30 – 04:00
Parakultural
Salon Canning, Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz 1331, Palermo

Wednesday, 7 September
20:30 – 02:00
Milonga Amapola
Av. Callao 1082 – Recoleta

Thursday, 8 September
20:00 – 01:00
Tango para Todes
Milonga Para Todes, Av. Córdoba 3271, Almagro.

Friday, 9 September
21:00 – 3:00
Milonga Yira Yira
La Rioja 1180. San Cristóbal

Saturday, 10 September
19:00 – 22:00
Centro de estudios del Tango de Buenos Aires
CETBA. Agrelo 3231, Balvanera

22:00 – 04:00
Club Atlético Milonguero
Milonga C.A. Milonguero, Av. Caseros 3159. Parque Patricios.

Sunday, 11 September
18:15 – 22:00
Glorieta de Versalles
Arregui y Porcel de Peralta – Plaza Paseo Versailles – Versailles

Monday, 12 September
20:30 – 01:00
El Motivo Tango
Av. Córdoba 5064. Villa Crespo

Tuesday, 13 September
15:00 – 18:00
Milonga Champagne Tango Club
Riobamba 416, San Nicolás

Wednesday, 14 September
19:00 – 01:00
La Milonguita
Alsina 1465, Monserrat

Friday, 16 September
22:30 – 04:00
La Baldosa
Cnel. Ramón L. Falcón 2750, Flores

Saturday, 17 September
22:30 – 04:00
Milonga La Bicicleta
Av. Vélez Sarsfield 222, Barracas

Sunday, 18 September
20:30 – 02:00
El Milongón
Salón Marabú de Milonga El Milongón. Maipú 365, San Nicolás

For the complete list of shows, concerts and activities, check out the official Tango BA Festival & World Championship website.