Buenos Aires Carnival

In Buenos Aires, Argentina carnival is a burst of noise and colour that takes over the streets. Dancers, drummers and flag bearers move through the city’s old avenues; sequins flashing against the concrete, music bouncing off the buildings. It’s not a polished show but something raw and alive. A celebration shaped by neighbourhood pride, rhythm and resistance. The murga, that blend of song, drums and movement, speaks of community and struggle, joy and defiance. I followed the parade as it wound through the city, drawn to the energy and contradictions, glamour and grit, unity and chaos. It’s everyday people transforming the ordinary into something transcendent, if only for an afternoon.

Women dressed in colorful, feathered costumes participating in a street parade or festival.
A group of people dressed in colorful costumes with blue, white, and yellow decorations, some with feathers and cartoon character patches, are participating in a parade on a city street. A person in the center holds a rainbow flag, and some are playing drums as spectators watch from the background.
People dressed in colorful costumes participating in a street parade, with buildings and trees in the background.
Women dressed in colorful carnival costumes with feathered headdresses and white boots participating in a parade on a city street, with onlookers and tall buildings in the background.
A parade with musicians in yellow shirts, white pants, and colorful hats, patting drums, with a woman in a yellow costume with yellow heels and feathered headpiece leading.
A person holding a large flag with green, white, and blue stripes during a parade or public event in an urban street.
A woman dressed in a colorful, feathered costume with a large white feathered headdress, standing outdoors among trees and pavement.
People participating in a street parade or demonstration, holding large yellow and red flags, with some wearing red and yellow outfits. A vintage orange and white bus is parked on the sidewalk, and buildings and trees line the street.
People participating in a parade on a city street, including a woman in a colorful costume with feathers, and others with costumes, on a cloudy day.
Parade participants standing on a city street, with some dressed in colorful costumes and feather headdresses, while others watch. Buildings and trees line the street, with a bus visible in the background.
People participating in a street parade, some dressed in colorful, revealing costumes, some with accessories like feathers and mini skirts, on an urban street with graffiti on the walls.
Women in colorful bikinis dancing in a street parade, with a crowd watching and musicians playing drums in the background.
Street parade with a group of drummers dressed in yellow shirts, white pants, and colorful hats, and a woman in a yellow costume with feathered accessories dancing in front.
People dressed in colorful costumes participating in a parade, with a person holding a large flag and a school bus parked on the side of the street.
A young child peeking out from a makeshift bed or crib with colorful bedding, viewed through an ornate metal window grille.
Women dressed in colorful bikinis and accessories participating in a parade or festival on a city street, with spectators and buildings in the background.