Buenos Aires Governor Launches Amphitheater Restoration

The Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Axel Kicillof, led the ceremony this Thursday for the start of the restoration and enhancement project of the Martín Fierro Amphitheater–Lake Theater, located in the Paseo del Bosque in the provincial capital. The event began at 6 PM with access from Avenida Iraola and Cuccolo. It was attended by the President of the Cultural Institute, Florencia Saintout; the Minister of Infrastructure and Public Services, Gabriel Katopodis; the executive and artistic director of the Amphitheater, Tristán Bauer; and the Mayor of La Plata, Julio Alak. During the ceremony, the orchestra of the Provincial Center of Arts Teatro Argentino performed 'The Bat' by Johann Strauss II, the same piece performed at the 1949 inauguration, which was attended by Juan Domingo Perón and Eva Perón. On this occasion, a tribute was paid to Rosa Mancuso, who sang at the original opening and presented a bouquet of flowers to Eva Perón. The contract for the work was awarded to the Temporary Business Union formed by COVIARQ S.A. and Grupo ABACO S.A. for a total of $8.341 billion, under Public Tender No. 20/2025. The project has an execution period of 540 consecutive days and plans a comprehensive intervention of the building, which has suffered years of neglect and deterioration. Re-inaugurated on November 18, 1949, as part of a cultural policy aimed at democratizing access to art, the Martín Fierro Amphitheater became one of the main open-air cultural spaces in the province. It hosted theatrical, musical, cinematic, and circus performances, and served as a temporary refuge for the stable ensembles of Teatro Argentino after the 1977 fire. The project will recover the original 1949 architectural design, respecting its heritage, landscape, and symbolic value, while incorporating infrastructure adapted to contemporary demands. The planned works include the restoration of the stage, pergolas, basement spaces, and the seating system, along with the integration of state-of-the-art stage technology. Furthermore, the plan includes the creation of a café with views of the lake and the forest, and the installation of a site museum that will reconstruct the history of the venue and its impact on the cultural life of La Plata. The initiative was promoted by the Cultural Institute of Buenos Aires Province, through the Martín Fierro Theater Directorate, in coordination with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Services and with the collaboration of the Municipality of La Plata. With this enhancement project, the Martín Fierro Amphitheater seeks to regain its centrality as the epicenter of cultural life in Buenos Aires Province.