Tango Porteño theatre show
The most reviewed tango show in the catalogue (829 reviews, 9.0), with a show-only ticket from €35.53.
- Price
- from €35.53
- Duration
- 1 h 45 min
- Guest rating
- 9.0/10
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 h before
Type of show
Tango shows in Buenos Aires: what to expect and how to choose
A tango dinner show is a staged evening of about four hours with transfer. A milonga is a dance hall where local people dance.
What it is
Tango began in the late nineteenth century in the port districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, among immigrants and working-class residents. It is a music and a couple dance, and UNESCO listed it as intangible cultural heritage of Argentina and Uruguay in 2009. A visitor meets it in two forms: the dinner show in a tanguería, where professionals perform on a stage, and the milonga, where local people dance socially.
A dinner show is a full evening. Dinner is served first, usually a three-course set menu with wine, and the show follows for about 75 to 90 minutes. A live orchestra with bandoneón, piano, violin and double bass plays for several dance couples and one or two singers. Some houses add a folklore number with drums and boleadoras. With hotel pick-up and return, the whole evening takes around four hours.
Tickets are sold in layers: show only, show with drinks, or dinner and show, and then by seat tier, with VIP tables nearest the stage and sometimes a different menu. Many tickets include a shared transfer from central hotels. Some houses offer a short group tango lesson before dinner. At a milonga you pay an entrance fee, order drinks at a table and watch or join the dance floor. Nothing is staged, though some nights have a brief exhibition.
Words you will meet
- Tanguería
- A venue that stages a professional tango show for a seated audience, usually with dinner.
- Milonga
- A social tango dance event, and also the name of a faster, older dance and music style related to tango.
- Bandoneón
- A button squeezebox of German origin whose sound defines tango music.
- Orquesta típica
- The classic tango line-up of bandoneóns, violins, piano and double bass, reduced to a quartet or sextet in most show houses.
- Cena show
- Spanish for dinner show, the ticket that combines the set menu and the performance.
- VIP tier
- A higher ticket category that buys a table closer to the stage and often an upgraded menu or drinks list.
- Transfer
- Shared transport between your hotel and the venue, included in many tickets for central districts only.
The most reviewed shows
Madero Tango show
The cheapest ticket in the catalogue, from €22.71, and the earliest start at 21:00. Most tiers seat you at shared tables.
- Price
- from €22.71
- Duration
- 1 h 40 min
- Guest rating
- 8.7/10
- Cancellation
- Free up to 12 h before
El Querandí tango show
A 190-seat restaurant room with a 75-minute show at 21:30 and the highest score among the well-reviewed houses (9.2).
- Price
- from €62.18
- Duration
- 1 h 15 min
- Guest rating
- 9.2/10
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 h before
El Viejo Almacén tango show
A San Telmo house founded in 1969 by the singer Edmundo Rivero, with a 90-minute show at 22:00 from €44.41.
- Price
- from €44.41
- Duration
- 1 h 30 min
- Guest rating
- 9.0/10
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 h before
Palacio Tango show at Galería Güemes
Two theatres inside Galería Güemes, show at 22:00 with two drinks included, from €29.71.
- Price
- from €29.71
- Duration
- 1 h 30 min
- Guest rating
- 8.8/10
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 h before
You book on Civitatis, the ticket platform, under its own terms.
Common questions
What is the difference between a tango show and a milonga?
A tango show is a choreographed performance by professionals, watched from a table. A milonga is a social dance where local people of all levels dance with each other to recorded or live music. The first is something you watch, the second is something people do.
How long does a tango dinner show last?
The performance lasts about 75 to 90 minutes. With dinner before it and the transfer both ways, expect to be out for around four hours.
What should I wear to a tango show?
Smart casual is the norm and most houses publish no formal dress code. Check the ticket page if you plan to wear shorts or sportswear.
Is the hotel transfer included?
Often, but not always, and usually only for hotels in central districts. The ticket page lists the area covered. If you are staying outside it, you make your own way to the venue or to a pick-up point.