August has arrived and in Buenos Aires that means something culturally very special because this is the month when we have the Annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival and World Championship. This well-known event will kick off with a Grand Opening on Wednesday August 14 at 8PM at the Exposition Center (Av. Figueroa Alcorta and Av. Pueyrredón in Recoleta) with performances by one of the most successful tango orchestras, Sexteto Mayor, who will be also celebrating its 40th anniversary with special guests.
Like every year, the festival will have a full agenda of tango classes, concerts, dance performances, milongas, and you can also attend and watch all the preliminary and final rounds of the championship. One of the highlights from this year’s live concerts is that there will be a special category called ‘Especial Fueyes‘, which is to pay tribute to the instrument that gives tango music its unique sound, el bandoneón (or ‘fueye‘ in lunfardo, Argentine slang). There will be concerts performed by international classical bandoneón players as well as contemporary ones. It’ll be a great opportunity to enjoy the diverse virtuosity from different generations.
Given the variety of activities offered, the venues of the festival are spread out at 
different locations and concert halls around the city, with Centro de Exposiciones (Exposition Center) in Recoleta being the main hub of the festival. While every function in this festival is free to the general public, some of them do require tickets due to limited seating. For schedule and how to acquire tickets, check out the Tango Festival Website.
The 2013 Buenos Aires Tango Festival and World Championship will take place next week from August 14 to 27, 2013. If you are in town and have been hesitating whether or not to give tango a shot, there is no better opportunity than this to experience it!
Isabel
