Buenos Aires is a city of tango, but its jazz soul keeps growing. There are more and more places to listen to jazz in the city, in addition to special jazz events, monthly series, and the now-classic jazz clubs frequented by locals.
Whether you’re a lover of good music or simply looking for something different to do, this month the Buenos Aires music scene offers jazz options almost every week. From venues in cultural centers to outdoor concerts, here’s a list to help you plan your jazz itinerary in Buenos Aires.
Borges Cultural Center: the epicenter of jazz in downtown Buenos Aires
The Borges Cultural Center is known for its art exhibitions and film and theater series, but it’s also the perfect place to discover Buenos Aires’ jazz scene. It features a must-see lineup with free admission at its Astor Piazzolla Hall. Admission is free, and tickets can be picked up starting at 11 a.m. before the show on the first floor (up to two tickets per person).
Here’s the October lineup :
- Ciclo Generador: Held every Thursday at 8 p.m. This series introduces you to projects that fuse contemporary jazz with improvisation and original music.
- Mariano Babour Organ 4: Performing on Saturday, October 3, at 8:00 p.m. This is a musical journey through the classic Hammond organ repertoire and a tribute to its greatest icons.
- EMPA Jazz Orchestra: They’ll be performing on Sunday, October 11, at 8:00 p.m. This big band is part of the Avellaneda School of Popular Music, and as part of their repertoire, they’ll be performing classics by the genre’s most important composers.
A Buenos Aires classic: Jazzología at the 25 de Mayo Cultural Center
The 25 de Mayo Cultural Center is located in Villa Urquiza, and in addition to being compared to the Teatro Colón for its beauty, it’s well known for always making room for jazz in its “Jazzología” concert series.
- Caoba Jazz Band: They’ll be performing on Tuesday, October 13, at 8:30 p.m. At this concert, you’ll experience African-American jazz from the 1920s and 1930s with a repertoire rich in influences from the styles of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York. Admission is free. Remember that you must reserve your spot in advance through the Entradas BA website.
Estación Verde: Afternoons Outdoors at Coghlan’s
- If you’re looking for a more relaxed outdoor atmosphere, the Estación Verde bar (@estacionverdecoghlan) transforms the platforms of the Coghlan train station into an open-air jazz club. At first glance, it may just look like an old English-style station, but it’s already a well-known spot for its outdoor jazz concerts. This October, there are concerts on Saturdays starting at 4:30 p.m. There’s no cover charge, and performances are on a pay-what-you-can basis.
If you don’t want to miss a single jazz event, the folks at jazzmapba on Instagram (@jazzmapba) always post the month’s jazz events, so following them to stay up to date on all the concerts will go a long way toward making sure you don’t miss a single jazz concert in the city.
📍 Borges Cultural Center: Viamonte 525 (inside Galerías Pacífico)
📍 25 de Mayo Cultural Center: Av. Triunvirato 4444
📍 Estación Verde Click to open side panel for more information Platforms at Coghlan Train Station (Mitre Line)
