The main carnival party in Argentina takes place in the town of Gualeguaychú - in the province of Entre Rios - about 230 km north-west of Buenos Aires. Carnival in the city kicks off early in the year, with celebrations every Saturday throughout January and February. The most extravagant celebrations take place during the official Carnival bank holiday weekend, when Argentines and tourists alike flock to Gualeguaychú for some sustained revelry. 

Known locally as El Carnaval del Pais (The Carnival of the Country), these hedonistic festivities are renowned for their dazzling comparsas, thrilling samba school competitions, and decorative floats that together combine to make a magical spectacle of noise and colour.

gualeguaychú Gualeguaychú Carival is the biggest in Argentina / Source

Gualeguaychú Carnival 2016 Full Program

Schools who will compete for the 1st prize

The carnival has five comparsas that compete against each other to be crowned champions, yet only three of the groups contest the competition each year. In 2016, Papelitos, O'Bahia, and Marí-Marí will take centre stage:

Papelitos - The history of the Papelitos troupe began back in the 1970’s when a small group of children created an impromptu murga one afternoon. Two mothers – María Rosa Arakaki and Mirta Larrivey – recognised the joy that this little performance brought to the community and signed them up for “The Carnival of Joy”. Without any budget for costumes, the two women had to be resourceful, dressing the youngsters in clothing that was effectively made of paper. They hence developed the name ‘Little Papers’ (Papelitos). Since then, this comparsa has evolved into an important part of Gualeguaychú Carnival.

O'Bahia - Owned by Club de Pescadores de Gualeguaychú (Gualeguaychú's Anglers' Club), O’Bahia comparsa is the second oldest in Gualeguaychú having first appeared in 1979. Over the years, the comparsa has been seen as a symbol of the community, attracting people from all social groups, and it is now one of the most popular in the city.

Marí-Marí - The formation of Marí Marí comparsa, run by Club Central Entrerriano, dates back to 1979. As the carnival in that year approached, the club was desperately unprepared, and they had to call for the help of María Elena de Dacal: a carnival expert. She helped them with their preparations but they were still without a Queen. It was only by chance that one of the members stumbled across the beautiful shop assistant María Elena Schaaf, and she was perfect. With an experienced guide and a stunning Queen, they won first prize, and thereafter, the comparsa was named after the two María’s who helped them to victory.

Every night of the carnival, the three comparsas parade to become the champion of that edition. Specialised juries – different each weekend – are dispersed along the runway and score the individual troupes based on a number of aspects, most notably their song and dance. Once all the carnival evenings have passed, the judges’ scores are totaled and the winner is announced. They will be able to participate again next year while the two runners-up will rest and come back again in 2018.

Watch the colourful Carnival parades / Source The Carnival parades are a noisy and colourful affair / Source

2016 Entry fees (in Argentine Pesos)

First Day (09/01) - Children AR$50; Adults AR$100
Second Day (16/01) - Children AR$50; Adults AR$200
Third and Fourth Night (22/01 and 30/01) - Children AR$50; Adults AR$220
Fifth Night and Carnival Bank Holidays (06/02, 07/02 and 08/02) - Children AR$50; Adults AR$280
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Nights (13/02, 20/02 and 27/02) - Children AR$50; Adults AR$250
Children under 10 years of age enter free every day.

Where to buy tickets

Box office hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 9pm; Saturdays 9am - 7pm (Credit cards not accepted)

Information by telephone: (03446) 431283 // 433086 // 438131 // 437837 // 423936

Buy online at: ventas@carnavaldelpais.com.ar

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Edited by Simon Hall