Leisure in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a city designed for pleasure and leisure. Its entertainment offering is so broad and varied that boredom is almost impossible, regardless of taste, age or budget. Theatre, cinema, concerts, amusement parks, casinos, bowling, escape rooms, and go-karting — the city has it all, and in abundance.

Theatre is one of Buenos Aires’ great cultural passions. With more than 300 venues spread across the city, Buenos Aires is the second city in the world for theatres after New York. Corrientes Avenue is the epicentre, home to major venues such as the Teatro San Martín, the Teatro Opera and the Teatro Metropolitan, but there are also dozens of independent theatres in Palermo, Villa Crespo and Boedo offering exceptional productions at very affordable prices.

Cinema also holds a special place in porteño culture. From the large multiplex complexes of Hoyts and Cinemark to independent cinemas such as Malba, Gaumont and Cosmos, Buenos Aires’ film listings are among the most comprehensive in Latin America. Film festivals — especially BAFICI, the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema — are cult events that draw thousands of film lovers each year.

For live music enthusiasts, Buenos Aires is paradise. The Luna Park, Estadio Obras, Teatro Gran Rex and Gran Buenos Aires Stadium host the world’s most important artists. But it’s also worth exploring the bars and clubs where live music is part of the night: jazz at Notorious or Thelonious, folk music at peñas in San Telmo and Balvanera, rock at the bars of Palermo Hollywood.

Clubs and nightlife deserve a mention of their own: Buenos Aires is world-famous for its electronic music clubs and its nocturnal scene, which starts well after midnight and extends into the early morning. Niceto Club, Crobar, Bahrein and Mandarine are names that resonate on the international circuit.

For family leisure, the Ecoparque, the Planetarium, the Museo de los Niños and the Parque de la Ciudad offer quality entertainment for all ages. Shopping centres such as Alto Palermo, Abasto and Dot also have extensive entertainment areas with cinemas, bowling alleys and play zones for younger visitors.

Paddle tennis and racquet sports in general have a huge presence in porteño leisure. There are clubs and courts in every neighbourhood, and hiring a court for an informal game is affordable for any budget. Golf, horse riding and polo — a sport that Argentina practises with mastery — also have their spaces in the city and Greater Buenos Aires.

Escape rooms and virtual reality experiences are the new frontier of urban leisure in Buenos Aires, proliferating especially in Palermo and the city centre. An afternoon of adrenaline and teamwork in a historically or horror-themed escape room makes for a different and thoroughly entertaining outing.

Buenos Aires has everything you need to have a wonderful time. The problem isn’t finding something to do — it’s deciding where to begin.