What no one sees at Candlelight in Buenos Aires: a manual setup equivalent to 33 times the Obelisk
In Buenos Aires, the magic of Candlelight’s live music is built candle by candle, until thousands of candles are strategically placed throughout venues like the Centro Asturiano de Buenos Aires.
Candlelight Concert at the San José Auditorium in Buenos Aires.
Candlelight concerts are now an essential part of Buenos Aires’ cultural landscape: beautiful venues, intimate live music, and a sea of candles. But have you ever wondered what happens before the first note is played? Many, many candles. Five thousand, fifteen thousand, thirty thousand… The number varies depending on the venue and the program, but thousands of candles are always lit.
And that image, which seems to come together on its own, is the result of a great deal of preparatory work. There is a method, there is time, and there are people working hard to ensure that the result is a concert worthy of both enjoying and photographing.
The setup, up close
First, unpacking. Boxes are opened, protective wrapping is removed, and rows of candles are placed on support tables. They are grouped in batches and checked to ensure they all look uniform. Then, they are positioned in the aisles, around the stage perimeter, and along the edges and corners of the venue. The spacing between candles is adjusted so the pattern is clearly visible from any seat.
Last but certainly not least, the lighting: entire sections are illuminated, positions are adjusted, and the house lights are dimmed. To confirm that the brightness is even, a quick sweep is done from the back row.
The effect is immediate. At the Centro Asturiano de Buenos Aires Sede Social, for example, the hall is outlined by warm paths of candlelight, with a stage that seems to glow with its own light. Can’t help but pull your phone out of your pocket before the concert starts? It’s okay—it’s happened to all of us.
To put it in perspective: stacked one on top of another, 15,000 candles would reach a height equivalent to stacking 33 Obelisks on top of each other. And if 30,000 candles were lit? About 19 times the height of the Alvear Tower.
By the time the last piece ends, there’s still work to be done. The candles are extinguished section by section, picked up one by one, cleaned, and returned to their boxes. And so it goes, show after show.
Now that you’ve seen behind the scenes, the next time you attend Candlelight in Buenos Aires, you won’t just feel the magic—you’ll also know how it’s created. Thousands of candles, a lot of coordination, and an atmosphere that feels effortless (even if it isn’t quite so).
