For over two decades, Byron Bay has celebrated its annual Argentine Tango Festival, offering immersive classes with world-renowned teachers and performers, live music from Australia’s leading tango artists, captivating performance art, and DJ-driven dance sessions. While full access is reserved for pass holders, everyone is welcome to join the beginner’s tango class on Sunday. Don’t miss Saturday night’s special showcase by international stars Bruno Tombari and Rocio Lequio, and for lovers of Astor Piazzolla, this year’s standalone concert of “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” is unmissable—concert tickets are sold separately from festival passes.

Friday 2 May

Afternoon

• 1:00 pm – Registration opens in the foyer

• 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

  • Hello! Milonga with DJ Han (Brisbane) in the Main Auditorium

  • Alternate Neotango Milonga with DJ Esther (Byron Bay) in the upstairs rooms
    (Non-pass holders welcome — $20 at the door)

Evening

• 6:00 pm – Bar opens for drinks

• 7:30 pm – Midnight – Welcome Milonga with DJ Wendy (Brisbane) in the Main Auditorium

Saturday 3 May

Morning

• From 9:00 am – Registration re-opens in the foyer

• 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (break at 10:45 am) – Immersion Class 1 with Bruno & Rocio [Red Pass] in the Main Auditorium

• 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Morning Milonga with DJ Jose (Melbourne) in the upstairs rooms

Afternoon

• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Workshop 1: Milonga [Blue & Red Pass] in the Main Auditorium

• 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Afternoon Milonga with DJ Mona (Sydney) in the upstairs rooms

• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Open Forum on Creativity: “Creating and Combining Elements in Social Dancing” with Mona & Sonny

• 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Piazzolla Concert by Mendoza Quartet & Friends in the Main Auditorium
  (Separate tickets via byrontheatre.com or at the door)

Evening

• 6:00 pm – Bar opens for drinks

• 7:30 pm – 1:00 am – Festival Milonga in the Main Auditorium

  • DJ Alex (Sydney)

  • Live music by Festival Orquesta Típica

  • Special performances by Bruno Tombari & Rocio Lequio

Sunday 4 May

Morning

• 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (break at 10:45 am) – Immersion Class 2 with Bruno & Rocio [Red Pass] in the Main Auditorium

• 11:00 am – 12:00 pm – First-Step Tango for Beginners with Esther (GoTango) in the upstairs rooms
  (No partner needed — $20 at the door)

• Free time for pass holders to explore the Byron Bay outdoor markets

Afternoon

• 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Workshop 2: Saccadas [Blue & Red Pass]

• 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm – Workshop 3: Vals [Blue & Red Pass] in the Main Auditorium

• 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Sunset Milonga at Belongil Beach (bottom end of Main Beach) with DJ Wendy (Brisbane)
  (If weather intervenes, moves to the upstairs room at the Community Centre)

Evening

• 6:00 pm – Bar opens for drinks

• 8:00 pm – Midnight – Farewell Milonga with DJ Jose (Melbourne) in the Main Auditorium

Come join us for an unforgettable weekend of tango immersion, live music, workshops, and social dancing in beautiful Byron Bay!

Festival Registration
All events take place at the Byron Community Centre, 69 Jonson Street, Byron Bay. The registration desk opens at 1 pm on Friday, 2 May 2025.

Immersion Classes

Designed for seasoned tango couples (approximately five years’ experience in classes, workshops and prácticas), these intensive sessions are capped at 30 couples. Over the weekend, Rocio Lequio and Bruno Tombari will lead two 3-hour “seminars” that blend fluid, interactive teaching with hands-on practice to maximise musicality, co-creation and technical precision.

Seminars 1 & 2: “From Structure to Improvisation: Musicality and Co-creation”
Dive deep into:

• Technique development for an authentic, effortless dance

• Musical interpretation and dialogue

• Core tango elements and creative challenges

Tango Workshops

For dancers with strong tango foundations only (limited to 30 couples). Each workshop hones a specific skill set:

1. Milonga – musical interpretation and combination patterns

2. Sacadas – partner-led applications directly on the dance floor

3. Vals – circular movements tailored for tighter spaces

Milongas

Informal Milongas
Six sessions each morning and afternoon in the upstairs room, hosted by a rotating roster of guest DJs.

Evening Milongas
Every evening in the Main Auditorium: DJs spin curated sets, and on Saturday night the Festival Orquesta Típica—featuring members of the Mendoza Tango Quartet plus special guests and singer Solange Lipcin—brings live music to the dance floor.

Private Lessons

Rocio and Bruno are available for one-on-one or couple lessons from Thursday, 1 May through Tuesday, 6 May.

• Single instructor: $180 (per couple or individual)

• Dual instructors: $240 (per couple or individual)
  To book, SMS Conrad on 0413 348 186.

Special Concert Event

Since 2016, our festival has celebrated the music of Ástor Piazzolla. This year’s public concert features the Mendoza Tango Quartet and friends performing the complete “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires”, plus selected works by Piazzolla and contemporary composers.

Note: Concert tickets are not included in festival passes. Purchase in advance at the Byron Bay Community Centre or at the door.