Theatres
Buenos Aires has over 280 theatres, more than any other city in the world. Head along Av. Corrientes between Av. Callao and Av. 9 de Julio and you’re in BA’s very own Broadway. The city’s theatres show everything from musicals to ballet, comedy to circuses. You can download a list of theatres in the city here.
BA's most popular and historic theatres are the Colón, Nacional and San Martín:
Teatro Colón (Cerrito 618, San Nicolás). Often referred to in the same breath as London’s Royal Opera House and Milan’s La Scala, the Colón Theatre is a world-class venue for opera, ballet and classical music. With unparalleled acoustics and a gorgeous décor, it’s worth a peek inside if you haven’t time for a show or a guided tour. You can even follow performances live on the web by going to teatrocolon.org.ar/es/en-vivo.
Teatro Nacional de Cervantes (Av. Córdoba 1155, San Nicolás). Considered the main national stage theatre in Buenos Aires, the Teatro Nacional has three performance stages. Many comedy acts perform here too.
Teatro San Martín (Av. Corrientes 1530, Montserrat). The prestigious San Martín is part of the Centro Cultural General San Martín.
International theatre is celebrated in Buenos Aires at the bi-annual FIBA (Festival International de Buenos Aires). Every other spring, theatre and dance companies from across the world converge on the city to perform in a number of theatres. For more information on the FIBA, go to the city's Festival site.
BA has a lively and celebrated alternative theatre scene for emerging playwrights and smaller productions. Most of these theatres are located in the Almagro, San Telmo and Palermo areas and include the excellent Timbre4, La Carpintería and El Camarín de la Musas. For alternative theatre listings, check out the Alternativa Teatral website.
Film is very popular in BA and the majority of cinemas are located in modern multi-screen complexes, with the exception of a few cultural or independent venues (e,g. Cultural Centro Recoleta, MALBA, INCAA and Lorca) which tend to show more classic, art-house, independent or local films.
The main Argentine cinema chains with movie theatres in BA are Atlas, Cinemark, Hoyts, Monumental, Multiplex, Showcase and Village.
Listings for all films showing in the city can be found on the Cines Argentinos website. Non-Spanish films are usually available dubbed and in original language with subtitles (‘subtitulos’). Cinemas change their programming every Thursday.
The city’s International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI), one of the most important celebrations of film in Latin America, is held every April in cinemas across the city. Featuring over 400 films, it is a major showcase of independent cinematic talent from across the globe.
Over the hot summer months, the Parque Rosedal tranforms into an outdoors drive-thru cinema ('autocine'). If you're in BA over January and February, check out the BA Agenda Cultural for programming information.
BA also has a thriving film-making scene, and is a popular location for international film shoots and commercials. The first animated feature film, El Apostól, was made in Buenos Aires in 1917 by animation director Quirino Cristiani. In 2013 over 300 commercials were shot in the city, 72 of which were international productions. To get you in the mood for BA, here are some great porteño films to watch:
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