Cosquín Rock is turning 25 the only way it knows how — with a massive concert across seven stages on February 15 and 16 in the eponymous Córdoba town.

Headliners will include the Babasónicos, Divididos, Dillom, Los Piojos, Deadmau5, and Nicki Nicole. More than 100 artists will perform in total. 

Last year’s main attraction was pop singer Lali Espósito, who has had several public clashes with President Javier Milei. (The music video of her recent song Fanático takes various digs at the president as well.) That festival drew 100,000 concertgoers, and this year’s show is expected to be even bigger.

Located in Córdoba province, Cosquín is small city that’s perhaps best known for its folk musical festival. That show began in 1961, and the last of week of January was subsequently designated National Folklore Week, with the city of Cosquin as the official venue for its celebration.

Forty years later, José Palazzo, Constantino Carrara, and Héctor Emaides organized the inaugural Cosquín Rock festival, which featured Dividos and Los Piojos as its main acts. At the time, Argentina was in the throes of one of the worst economic crises in the country’s history. So popular was the festival that it was able to survive the 2004 Cromañon nightclub fire — a tragedy that left 194 dead and shook the Argentine rock community to its foundations.

In the years since, Cosquín Rock has expanded internationally to Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Spain, and the United States, which held a festival in Miami in 2021. The event regularly features Argentine rock icons like Charly Garcia and Fito Páez.

Although the concert still bears the name Cosquín Rock, it now takes place in nearby Santa María de Punilla to accomodate the massive crowds. General admission costs AR$280,000 for the two-day festival (Approximately US$270 at the official rate and US$250 at the MEP dollar rate) or AR$140,000 for each day. VIP seating is available for AR$1.2 million or AR$600,000 for each day. All tickets can be purchased at the festival’s website here. 

How to get there

A flight from Buenos Aires to Córdoba typically takes an hour and a half. Both Aerolineas Aerolineas and Flybondi will get you there, although you may want to steer clear of the latter given its track record of excessive delays and cancellations. Round-trip tickets are available for AR$250,000. 

Once you arrive, you can either use public transportation or catch a shuttle to the festival grounds, which is approximately an hour from Córdoba Airport. 

If you decide to drive, keep in mind that Santa María de Punilla is eight hours away. Buses from Buenos Aires to Córdoba take approximately 11 hours and depart regularly from terminals in Retiro, Liniers, and Dellepiane. A round-trip ticket typically runs AR$85,000.

Where to stay and what to do

Both Cosquín and Santa María de Punilla are very small, so if you’re looking to rent a room in a hotel or a hostel, you might want to scour the nearby towns of Villa Carlos Paz, Bialet Massé, and San Roque. There are are also numerous camping grounds in the immediate area if you’re feeling more adventures.

If you’re considering staying on for a few days after the festival, there are several destinations worth exploring. Naturalists can enjoy an beautiful hike in Tanti and rock climbing in the Los Gigantes mountains or the beautiful, while city lovers can savor the exquisite waterfront in Villa Carlos Paz or the historic streets of nearby Córdoba. 

In case you can’t attend the festival in person, live stream will be available on Disney+.