The Tango Dance Competition (hereinafter referred to as “THE COMPETITION”) consists of the Tango de Pista and/or Tango Escenario categories. Both categories are open to amateur and professional dancers alike.

ORGANIZER

The Organizer of the Official Preliminary Round of the Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Championship 2026 (hereinafter referred to as “THE ORGANIZER”) bears exclusive responsibility for the organization and execution of the event and is entitled to charge registration fees for couples, as well as participation fees for workshops and other scheduled activities.

The highest authority of the competition — with regard to compliance with the provisions of these Regulations — is the General Directorate of Festivals and Cultural Nights of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (hereinafter referred to as “DGFyNC”).

Accordingly, all activities related to the organization and execution of the PRELIMINARY ROUNDS must comply with the provisions of these Regulations.

REGISTRATION

1. Both dancers must have reached the age of 18 by the starting date of the local competition.
2. They must be able to prove, with legally valid documents, that they have maintained residence for at least one (1) year within the area of influence of the given Preliminary Round.
   In this case, this corresponds to the entire European region. (In the case of ‘non official’ categoriesit corresponds to the entire Word)
   A person may register only once in the same category, but may compete in different categories with the same or a different partner.
3. Each couple shall represent the city in which they reside.
   If the partners reside in different cities within the area of influence of the Preliminary Round, they must choose and declare which city they will represent.
   A couple may not compete in Preliminary Rounds belonging to different areas of influence; failure to comply with this rule shall result in automatic disqualification.
4. The following persons are not eligible to participate:
   • employees of the DGFyNC;
   • organizers of Official Preliminary Rounds;
   • judges of the Tango Buenos Aires World Championship, its Preliminary Rounds, or the City Championship;
   • sponsors and/or employees of companies sponsoring the Preliminary Round;
   • any person who maintains a permanent or temporary contractual or professional relationship with the DGFyNC.

Furthermore, dancers or couples who have been disqualified or eliminated from any Preliminary Round or from the World Championship during the previous calendar year are also not eligible to compete.

In cases of serious violations of the competition rules, the DGFyNC reserves the right to extend the duration of the sanction.

ACCREDITATION

For accreditation purposes, all registered competitors must appear at the date, time, and location determined by THE ORGANIZER and present their original national identity card or passport with valid residency. Copies of the submitted documents shall be retained.

During accreditation, competitors shall receive their competition number and be informed of the dates, venues, and approximate times of their performances.

Competitors who fail to appear for accreditation may not participate in the championship. Delays will be considered only in duly justified cases of force majeure. After the accreditation period has concluded, no further registration or accreditation will be accepted.

At accreditation, competitors must declare on the registration form whether, during the six (6) months prior to the competition, they have had any employment, professional, or personal relationship with any member of the jury, including:

• emotional or personal relationships;
• participation in private lessons;
• Tango Escenario choreographies created, reviewed, or coached jointly with a judge;
• joint performances or teaching activities within the same event.

These declarations shall be verified by the Observer in consultation with the jury members in order to determine any potential conflicts of interest.

Participation in group classes or seminars taught by jury members is permitted; however, private lessons with jury members are strictly prohibited during the competition period.

In the Tango Escenario category, couples may not present choreographies that have been created, reviewed, or coached by any member of THE ORGANIZER’s team.

All information provided during accreditation shall be considered a statement made under full responsibility. Providing false information may result in point deductions, disqualification, or other sanctions.

Identification documents must be presented on each competition day.

Participants agree to take part, upon request, in press events, media appearances, and promotional activitiesorganized by THE ORGANIZER

COMPETITION

THE COMPETITION may consist of the following stages in both categories:
a) Qualifying Round
b) Semifinal
c) Final

If necessary, THE ORGANIZER may introduce a Quarterfinal stage.

The competition shall be considered official only if, at the qualifying stage, there are at least:

• 10 couples in the Tango Escenario category;
• 20 couples in the Tango de Pista category.

If these minimum numbers are not met, the competition loses its official status, and the winning couple shall not be automatically qualified for the World Championship.

In the Tango de Pista category, couples compete in group rounds dancing to three (3) recorded tangos.
In the Tango Escenario category, couples compete individually, dancing to music of no more than four (4) minutes.

Each couple may dance only once per round.

Couples may be disqualified if they:

• violate the provisions of these Regulations;
• make political or religious statements;
• engage in unethical behavior or conduct detrimental to the reputation of the event;
• commit any act of physical or verbal aggression.

JURY

In both categories, the jury shall consist of at least four (4) judges, appointed jointly by THE ORGANIZER and the DGFyNC.

All jury decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

In cases of conflict of interest, the concerned judge shall abstain from scoring the affected couple. In such cases, the final score shall be calculated as the average of the valid votes cast.

Scoring ranges:

• Qualifying Round: 5–8
• Semifinal: 6–9
• Final: 8–10

The top 50% of couples advance to the next stage

OBSERVER

The Observer shall be appointed by the DGFyNC. The Observer is responsible for ensuring compliance with these Regulations and for resolving disputes and unforeseen circumstances.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. TANGO DE PISTA

A social dance in which improvisation, the embrace, and connection are essential.
Stage elements and jumps are not permitted.

2. TANGO ESCENARIO

A freely chosen choreography with a maximum duration of 4 minutes.

Evaluation criteria:

• choreography,
• musicality,
• creativity,
• technique,
• costuming.

RECORDINGS AND USE OF MATERIAL

THE ORGANIZER is entitled to make and use audio, photographic, and video recordings for promotional purposes.
By registering, participants waive any financial claims related to the use of such materials.

PRIZES

Winners of each category automatically qualify for the corresponding stage of the Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Championship 2026, provided that the required minimum number of entries in the official categories has been met.

The first prize includes full coverage of travel and accommodation expenses in Buenos Aires for the duration of the competition.

At the Budapest Official Preliminaries, during the Saturday and Sunday Grand Milongas, competitors will perform for the purpose of promoting both themselves and the BA Preliminaries. Therefore, all participants who register in official competition categories—Tango de Pista or Tango Escenario—are required to purchase a Milonga or Grand Milonga Pass.

To support this, we offer discounted competitor passes.

Registration and accreditation imply full knowledge and acceptance of these Regulations.