Newcomer Does Buenos Aires celebrate Carnival like Rio de Janeiro? How big is the celebration?

[BA Bound]

I went to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro a few years ago. Someone told me Buenos Aires celebrates it as well. How is it? Worth going to? Any boots on the ground reports from expats or locals?

 

[Vero]

You will be severely disappointed if you try to compare the two. Buenos Aires's is NOTHING like Rio de Janeiro so you were spoiled.

Carnaval Buenos Aires 2024: Corsos y murgas

Carnaval Buenos Aires 2024. Todos los corsos en la ciudad. Desfiles de murgas y comparsas. Fechas, información de carnaval. Corsos en CABA. Horarios y fechas de los corsos. Bailes y desfiles.

www.carnavalargentina.com.ar

The City's official website here:

https://buenosaires.gob.ar/cultura/promocioncultural/carnaval-porteno

Saturdays in February: 4, 11, 18, 25. 8 PM to 2 AM

Sundays in February: 5, 12, 19, 26. : 8 PM to 12 AM

Closing Ceremony of Festival on Av. de Mayo: February 21st, from 3 PM to 10 PM


And plan ahead as Monday and Tuesday of Carnival are holidays (February 12 and 13, 2024) so banking offices and Western Union are closed. And maybe some money exchange firms will be open but some might be closed.

 

[Che Vos]

Ours is nothing compared to Rio's. Nothing to write home about.

 

[GlasgowJohn]

Most barrios have some sort of celebrations which will mean street closures some nights during the carnival season.

The typical barrio will have its own "murga" described as a festival of song, dance and percussion. Compared to Rio its a tuneless mess lacking in style and pzazz - can you tell I have never been impressed?

I dislike crticising for the sake of it but playing big drums as loud as possible , doesnt do very much for me.

 

[earlyretirement]

Most barrios have some sort of celebrations which will mean street closures some nights during the carnival season.

The typical barrio will have its own "murga" described as a festival of song, dance and percussion. Compared to Rio its a tuneless mess lacking in style and pzazz - can you tell I have never been impressed?

I dislike crticising for the sake of it but playing big drums as loud as possible , doesnt do very much for me.

Yes! Like you, I tell it like it is John. I have an apartment to Rio and been there several times. I was laughing when some locals told me "they celebrate Carival just like Rio". I laughed and told them this is nothing here at all. As you mentioned, a "tuneless mess lacking in style and prazz". I love it!

Like you, I was never impressed. Even if you've never been to Rio's, I doubt you'd be impressed here with "Carnival Buenos Aires style".

 

[GlasgowJohn]

On Saturday evening , I was at GlasgowJohn Junior's soccer christmas party in Campana

The entertainment? A murga practicing for next years carnival....AAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!

 

[earlyretirement]

On Saturday evening , I was at GlasgowJohn Junior's soccer christmas party in Campana

The entertainment? A murga practicing for next years carnival....AAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!

Ha, ha ha. I can't wait to meet up in person @GlasgowJohn in January. I love all your posts on Argentina. I also LOVE spending time with intelligent people.

 

[MikeRoss]

Has anyone been to Carnival this year in Buenos Aires? I never hear anything about it. Worth going to?

 

[Betsy Ross]

Most barrios have some sort of celebrations which will mean street closures some nights during the carnival season.

The typical barrio will have its own "murga" described as a festival of song, dance and percussion. Compared to Rio its a tuneless mess lacking in style and pzazz - can you tell I have never been impressed?

I dislike crticising for the sake of it but playing big drums as loud as possible , doesnt do very much for me.

Has anyone been to Carnival this year in Buenos Aires? I never hear anything about it. Worth going to?

I went before but I did not think it was all too great. I went in Rio one year and THAT is a great celebration! In BA it is very underwhelming. I heard it used to be much more popular and bigger celebrations but that was not my experience.

 

[Avocado]

I went before but I did not think it was all too great. I went in Rio one year and THAT is a great celebration! In BA it is very underwhelming. I heard it used to be much more popular and bigger celebrations but that was not my experience.

It was better before because the government formally gave a lot of money towards it but now they don't. Milei's people say that the celebrations are a nuisance and disturbance to local residents.

It is worth going to. The schedule is here for this year.

Carnaval en CABA 2025: horarios y fechas de todos los corsos y murgas en cada barrio

Los corsos porteños toman las calles de la ciudad de Buenos Aires durante todo el mes de febrero hasta el fin de semana largo que hay en los primeros días de marzo

www.lanacion.com.ar

 

[Vero]

Here are some locations where they will celebrate this year.

Get Out! Carnaval fever, here’s where to celebrate all across Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires Herald

Porteño festivities around the city to experience the street parades and murga madness

buenosairesherald.com

 

[BuySellBA]

Great turn out this year.

The 2025 Carnival in Argentina set a tourism record, with 2.8 million people traveling throughout the country, representing a 7.6% increase compared to the previous year. This rise in tourist flow generated a significant economic impact, reaching over $701.064 million.

The average daily expenditure per tourist was $89,167, reflecting a real increase of 33.8% compared to 2024. This increase in daily spending demonstrates a greater willingness among tourists to invest in their travel experiences, benefiting various sectors of the local economy, including hospitality, gastronomy, and transportation.

Other notable figures from the 2025 Carnival include:

The average hotel occupancy rate was 93%.

The average stay was 2.8 days, maintaining previous trends.

Provinces like Entre Ríos, Jujuy, Mendoza, and Corrientes led in hotel occupancy.

Traditional Carnival destinations such as Gualeguaychú, Corrientes, and Tilcara maintained their popularity, attracting thousands of tourists.

This tourism record during the 2025 Carnival demonstrates the recovery and strength of Argentina's tourism sector, as well as the growing popularity of domestic destinations for festive celebrations.