Musicals in Buenos Aires: 10 shows to see

Based on the film starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, this musical comedy takes audiences back to the 1980s, with its unforgettable hits, hairstyles and fashion. The story follows Adrián Weiss, a wedding singer who is left heartbroken after being stood up at the altar. His life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Ella Miller, a waitress who dreams of something more than her relationship with an ambitious boyfriend. Their encounter sparks a friendship that soon blossoms into a love story, filled with songs, misunderstandings and second chances.

Fun fact: The original film, released in 1998, marked the first time Sandler and Barrymore starred opposite each other. They later reunited on screen in 50 First Dates (2004) and Blended (2014).

Where: Teatro Politeama, Paraná 353. Tickets.

One of the most tragic love stories in Argentine history comes to the musical stage. A tu lado, Camila recreates the secret romance between Camila O’Gorman and priest Uladislao Gutiérrez, who, during the rule of Juan Manuel de Rosas, decided to defy the religious and social conventions of the time to defend their love. A story of passion, escape and tragedy that, in this version, becomes a visually spectacular production featuring original music performed live and a contemporary take on freedom, power and the weight of institutions.

The inside scoop: Camila O’Gorman’s story also made it to the big screen in 1984, in a film directed by María Luisa Bemberg and starring Susú Pecoraro and Imanol Arias. The film became one of the great classics of Argentine cinema and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Where: Sala Caras y Caretas, Sarmiento 2037. Tickets.

The award-winning musical created by Los Javis tells a story shaped by faith, relationships and self-discovery, in which the unexpected bursts in to transform the lives of its protagonists. Combining humour and emotion, La Llamada creates a world where spirituality coexists with music and each character's desires, in a story that has won over audiences around the world. One of the production's defining features is its live music, with a repertoire combining original songs from the show, Whitney Houston hits, pop by Six Sex, liturgical songs and the now-classic “Cuando amas a alguien”, by César “Banana” Pueyrredón, specially incorporated into this Argentine version.

The detail: the Argentine production stars Leti Siciliani, Juli Castro, César “Banana” Pueyrredón, Evitta Luna and Momi Giardina.

Where: Teatro Astros, Av. Corrientes 746. Tickets.

Now one of the best-known titles on Buenos Aires' independent musical theatre scene, La Desgracia returned in 2026 for its ninth season. Born in the off-theatre circuit and kept alive for years through word of mouth, it takes place in Terranova, a small conservative town where a sexually transmitted disease appears, which its residents call “the disgrace.”

When Anita, the mayor's daughter, becomes infected and the town's only doctor is found dead just after discovering the cure, an investigation begins, blending murder, fanaticism, politics, religion, love and guilt. Everything is told through farce and parody, with songs that reveal the desires and contradictions of its characters.

The detail: its creators spent four years working on the book and music before bringing La Desgracia to the stage.

Where: Paseo La Plaza, Av. Corrientes 1660. Tickets.

Born in New York's alternative clubs and later becoming a cult musical, Hedwig y la Pulgada Furiosa feels closer to a rock concert than traditional musical theatre. The story follows Hedwig, a singer born in East Germany who arrives in the United States after an unsuccessful gender reassignment surgery and now finds herself performing a concert with her band.

As she sings, she reconstructs her story: her childhood in East Berlin, her relationship with Tommy Gnosis—a former lover who steals her songs and becomes a star—and her bond with Yitzhak, her husband and backing singer. The show combines monologues, glam punk rock songs, a live band and an intimate staging to tell a story about identity, desire, loss and redemption.

The detail: the experience begins before the show, with installations and a themed bar, and continues after the performance with two additional performances.

Where: Maquinal, Anchorena 364. Tickets.

What would happen if Shakespeare suddenly appeared in the contemporary world? That's the premise of Sueño de una noche de Rock, which blends the world of the English playwright with Argentine rock and pop. Shakespeare encounters Puck once again, along with characters such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth, but this time amid guitars, songs, humour, dancing and poetry.

The soundtrack brings together songs associated with Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Gustavo Cerati, Fito Páez and Lali, among other artists, in a production that plays with the encounter between Elizabethan theatre and Argentine music culture.

The detail: the entire cast is male, referencing the conventions of Elizabethan theatre, when female characters were played by men.

Where: Teatro Regina, Santa Fe 1235. Tickets.

Ten years after its original premiere, Yo no soy Amy returns with an expanded production offering an artistic tribute to Amy Winehouse and her musical universe. The show combines theatre, concert and performance art to revisit some of the artist's best-known songs, as well as aspects of her inner world and the persona she created in front of the public.

Mariú Fernández once again steps into the role of Amy in a production that seeks to capture the music and sensitivity of Winehouse without becoming a conventional biography.

The detail: the music is performed by a Big Band led by Nicolás Radicchi, with arrangements that blend soul, jazz and pop.

Where: Bebop Club, Uriarte 1658, Palermo. Tickets.

You may also like: Off-theatre shows to see in Buenos Aires

A story that seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale and a production that builds much of its world in front of the audience. The Old Man and the Old Moon follows a man whose job is to look after the moon and make sure it continues on its journey each night. His life changes when his wife decides to leave in search of something waiting for her beyond the horizon, and he abandons his mission to set off across the sea after her.

Along the way, storms, villages, farewells and encounters turn the adventure into a story about love and the changes that shape a life.

The detail: the set does not attempt to recreate every location realistically. Instead, spaces appear and disappear through the performers' movements and the audience's imagination.

Where: Sala Picasso at Paseo La Plaza, Av. Corrientes 1660. Tickets.

If a classical orchestra, music hall, comedy and pop songs seem to belong to different worlds, Musicalmente Tuyos brings them together on the same stage. Written and directed by Fernando Albinarrate, the show features four performers who sing, act and move among the music stands of a live orchestra made up of eleven musicians.

Music stops being an accompaniment and becomes part of the dramaturgy: the repertoire moves from Bach, Beethoven, Rossini, Strauss and Bizet to Freddie Mercury, ABBA, Village People, Mariah Carey and Chabuca Granda, while also including original compositions. The result blends concert, variety show, music hall and theatrical comedy, with the orchestra playing an active role in the performance.

The detail: works by Fernando Albinarrate have premiered in Argentina, France, Russia, the United States, Germany and Switzerland, with some even reaching stages such as the Opéra de Massy and the Opéra Bastille.

Where: Teatro Picadero, Pasaje Santos Discépolo 1857. Tickets.

Alrededor is a rock-pop musical about relationships, vulnerability and people trying to stop being alone. Galo, a young architect, reconnects with a friend who has returned from Berlin and is now living on the streets. The encounter leads him to a group of artists who gather in a square and who, despite their own difficulties, have found a way to support one another in that space.

There he meets Palacios, a father trying to get his son and his home back; Milenka, who struggles with her difficulty trusting others; Tero, a teenager who dreams of having a family; and Ali, a graphic designer he begins to fall in love with. Through these characters, the show builds an ensemble story about the need to find a place and a network of affection and support.

The detail: in addition to writing theatre and music, Mariano Tirigall is also a writer. One of his short stories, El bajo de Paul McCartney, was selected for an anthology of award-winning stories.

Where: Teatro Picadilly, Av. Corrientes 1524. Tickets.