Eligibility

Contestants must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the competition.

The competition consists of six categories:

• Official Categories: Tango Pista and Tango Stage
• Open Categories: Tango Vals, Milonga, and Solo Milonguer@
• Subcategory: Tango Senior (within Tango Pista)

Open Categories

The Open Categories have no geographical restrictions and are open to participants from any country in the world.

These categories are not part of the official Tango BA Championship, and the prizes awarded are symbolic.

Contestants may participate in any or all categories. However, no contestant may compete more than once in the same category, even with a different partner.

The Tango Senior category is incorporated into the Tango Pista competition. A special recognition will be awarded to the highest-scoring senior couple competing in Tango Pista.

To qualify as a Senior Couple, both dancers must be 55 years of age or older on the date of the competition.

Official Categories

Dancers of any nationality may apply to compete in the Official Categories. However, both members of the couple must prove that they have been legal residents for at least one full year (by the date of the competition) in one of the following countries:

Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, or the United Kingdom.

All participants must complete the Accreditation and Check-In process.

To obtain accreditation for the Official Categories, contestants must present valid original documentation (such as a passport, national identity card, residence permit, rental agreement, or other official proof of residence) demonstrating that they meet the residency requirements.

Both members of the couple must attend the Accreditation and Check-In process together with their original documents. Accreditation cannot be completed by only one member of the couple.

Accreditation & Check-In

All registered contestants must attend the Accreditation and Check-In on xx June, from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, at InnPark.

Participants must present their original passport or national identity card.

During Check-In, contestants will:

• Complete the accreditation process.
• Receive their competition number.
• Be informed of the approximate performance times for each round of their category.

Contestants who fail to complete the Accreditation and Check-In process within the specified time will not be permitted to participate in the championship.

Declaration of Relationships with Jury Members

During Check-In, contestants must complete a personal information form.

As part of this declaration, contestants must disclose whether, during the six months (180 days) preceding the competition, they have had any professional, educational, or personal relationship with any member of the jury, including but not limited to:

• A personal or romantic relationship.
• Private lessons with one or more jury members.
• A Tango Stage choreography created, coached, revised, or prepared by one or more jury members.
• Hiring, or having been hired by, one or more jury members to teach, perform, or participate in the same event.

These declarations will be reviewed by the Competition Supervisor and verified with the members of the jury to determine whether any judge must abstain from evaluating a particular couple.

All information provided during Check-In shall be considered a sworn declaration. Any false, incomplete, or misleading information may result in penalties imposed by the Organisation of the La Turca Tango Marathon & Championship, including deduction of points, disqualification from the competition, or any other disciplinary action deemed appropriate.

Professional and Amateur Competitors

Participation in all categories is open to both professional and amateur dancers.

For the purposes of this competition:

• A Professional dancer is someone whose primary source of income is teaching, performing, or otherwise working professionally in tango.
• An Amateur dancer is someone who does not earn their primary income from tango.

Competition Format

The competition, in both the Official Categories and the Open Categories, will be conducted in three stages according to the schedule established by the La Turca Tango Marathon & Championship Organisation:

I. Qualifying Round

II. Semifinal

III. Final

I. Qualifying Round

All registered couples will participate in the Qualifying Round, dancing once.

Date: Friday, xx June 2027

Starting Time: 12:00 pm

II. Semifinal

Couples selected during the Qualifying Round will advance to the Semifinal.

Date: Sunday, xx June 2027

Starting Time: 11:00 am

III. Final

Couples selected during the Semifinal will advance to the Final.

Date: Sunday, xx June 2027

Starting Time: 8:00 pm

Competition Format by Category

In the Tango Pista, Tango Senior, Tango Vals, Milonga, and Solo Milonguer@ categories, competitors will dance in groups to three recorded songs selected by the Organisation.

In the Solo Milonguer@ category, competitors are evaluated individually, and separate awards are presented to the Best Leader and the Best Follower. In this category only, partners are changed after each song of the tanda.

In the Tango Stage category, each couple will perform individually to one piece of music of their own choice. The selected music must not exceed four (4) minutes in duration.

Disqualification

A couple may be disqualified if they:

a) Fail to comply with the Competition Regulations.

b) Display or promote political or religious messages during the competition, by any means, that may be considered offensive to the audience or the organisers, or that interfere with the proper conduct of the event.

c) Commit any unethical or inappropriate act that may damage the reputation of the Preliminary Competition and/or the Tango World Championship, or cause discomfort to the audience.

d) Engage in any form of physical and/or verbal aggression, either inside or outside the competition venue, against participants, jury members, staff, volunteers, organisers, or members of the public.

If any of the above situations occur, THE ORGANISATION and FESTIVALES BA reserve the right to jointly disqualify or eliminate the couple from the competition.

Lessons with Jury Members

Competitors are welcome to attend group classes, workshops, and seminars taught by members of the jury.

However, private lessons with any jury member are strictly prohibited while the competitors remain in the competition.

Appeals

All decisions made by the jury are final and not subject to appeal.

By registering for the competition, all participants acknowledge and accept this condition.

Should a participant have any questions or concerns regarding the competition, they may submit a written request in English or Spanish to THE ORGANISATION. Under no circumstances may competitors address complaints or appeals directly to the judging panel.

Filming and Photography

The Organisation of the Preliminary reserves the right to record, photograph, film, livestream, digitise, and otherwise capture all stages of the Championship by any existing or future means, either directly or through authorised third parties, for promotional, archival, broadcasting, or publicity purposes.

All recordings, photographs, videos, and other media produced during the event shall remain the exclusive property of the Organisation of the Preliminary. In accordance with the Collaboration Agreement, a copy of this material will also be provided to the Office of Festivals.

By entering the Championship, all participants expressly and irrevocably authorise the Organisation of the Preliminary and the Office of Festivals to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, broadcast, and promote any photographs, video recordings, audio recordings, or other images in which they appear, in any media or format, worldwide and without limitation in time.

Participants acknowledge that such use shall not give rise to any financial compensation, royalties, or other remuneration of any kind.

This authorisation includes, without limitation, all photographic, audiovisual, and promotional material used for advertising, publicity, social media, websites, printed publications, press releases, and any other promotional or documentary purposes related to the Championship.

PISTA TANGO

Tango de Pista is conceived as a social dance, where the most important elements are improvisation, embrace, musicality and the connection between dance partners.

Circulation of Couples

As in a traditional dance hall, couples will dance in rounds and must continuously move in a counterclockwise direction, without moving backwards.

If necessary, couples may take one or two steps backwards, provided that these movements remain within the couple’s own dancing space.

Each couple must be aware of and respect both their own space and the space of other couples on the dance floor, maintaining harmony and fluid circulation throughout the round.

If a couple remains in the same position for more than two musical phrases, obstructing the circulation of other couples, the Jury may consider reducing their score.

If one couple blocks the circulation of the dance floor and prevents other couples from passing, the Jury may decide, if necessary, that the round should continue with a different tango in order to resolve the situation.

Once the embrace has been established, the couple must not separate while the music is playing.

For the embrace to be considered correct, the body of one dancer must remain continuously contained by the arm of the other dancer. The Jury understands that certain figures may require temporary flexibility in this position; however, this should not occur throughout the entire performance.

All movements and figures must be performed within the space naturally created by the couple’s embrace and must not interfere with other couples dancing.

The leader may invite the follower to walk and/or turn to the right or left, without taking backward steps on the dance floor.

It is not necessary for partners to break the embrace between tangos.

Evaluation Criteria

Couples may perform any figures commonly used in social tango, including, but not limited to:

• Barridas (sweeps)
• Sacadas al piso (floor sacadas)
• Enrosques (twists)
• Ganchos (hooks)
• Boleos
• Embellishments

All movements must be performed within the couple’s own space and without obstructing other dancers.

Jumps, movements involving both feet leaving the floor, and any other choreographic elements characteristic of Stage Tango are strictly prohibited.

The Jury will consider the couple’s personal interpretation of different tango styles as an essential part of the evaluation.

The following aspects will also be considered:

• Musicality
• Elegance of the walk
• Connection between partners
• Search for a personal expression
• Ability to adapt dynamics and speed according to the tango being played

Costumes

Clothing and appearance will not be taken into consideration as part of the judging criteria. However, dancers are encouraged to dress elegantly and appropriately.

When choosing clothing, hairstyle, and make-up, participants should remember that Tango de Pista is a social dance, not a stage performance.

The above regulations also apply to the Open Categories.

STAGE TANGO

Performance

Each couple will perform individually to one piece of music of their choice.

The selected music must not exceed four (4) minutes in duration.

If a couple experiences a problem during their choreography, they must decide whether to continue or stop their performance. The Jury will evaluate the manner, control, and grace with which the couple handles the situation.

Under no circumstances will a couple be allowed to repeat their performance due to a choreography mistake.

If a technical problem occurs, the Organisation, together with the Jury, will determine whether the performance may be repeated at the end of the assigned performance schedule.

Evaluation Criteria

Participants may express their own interpretation of Argentine Tango.

Couples may include movements, figures, and embellishments that are not directly related to traditional tango, provided that the choreography maintains the essence of tango and includes traditional elements such as:

• Ochos (figure eights)
• Spins
• Long walks
• Boleos
• Ganchos
• Milonguero embrace

Couples may break the embrace and incorporate techniques from other dance disciplines, as long as these elements are justified and contribute positively to the overall performance.

Aerial movements and elements from other dance disciplines must not be excessive. They must not represent more than one third of the total performance.

The choreography must include sequences of floor movement throughout the entire stage area.

Costumes

Costumes and overall appearance may be considered as part of the judging process.

PRIZES

PISTA TANGO CATEGORY

The first-place winning couple of the La TURCA TANGO BA Pista Champion 2027 will receive:

• The official title of La TURCA TANGO BA Pista Champion 2027.
• A trophy for each member of the winning couple.
• Round-trip airfare from the country of residence of the winners to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• One week of accommodation in Buenos Aires during August 2027, coinciding with the Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup.
• Registration to compete directly in the Semifinals of the Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup 2027.

Important Notice:

If the winning couple declines to participate in the Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup, representing the Turkish Preliminary from the Semifinals onwards, they will forfeit the prize and will not be permitted to enter the World Cup through the qualifying stages.

The second-place winning couple will receive:

• An honourable mention.
• A trophy for each member of the couple.
• Free registration for the next Turkish Tango Championship in the same category. 

The third-place winning couple will receive:

• An honourable mention.
• A trophy for each member of the couple.

STAGE TANGO CATEGORY

The first-place winning couple of La TURCA TANGO BA Stage Champion 2027 will receive:

• The official title of La TURCA TANGO BA Stage Champion 2027.
• A trophy for each member of the winning couple.
• Round-trip airfare from the country of residence of the winners to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• One week of accommodation in Buenos Aires during August 2027, coinciding with the Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup.
• Registration to compete directly in the Semifinals of the Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup 2027.

Important Notice:

If the winning couple declines to participate in the Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup, representing the Turkish Preliminary from the Semifinals onwards, they will forfeit the prize and will not be permitted to enter the World Cup through the qualifying stages.

The second-place winning couple will receive:

• An honourable mention.
• A trophy for each member of the couple.

The third-place winning couple will receive:

• An honourable mention.
• A trophy for each member of the couple.

Winners of Both Official Categories

If the same couple wins both Official Categories (Tango Pista and Tango Stage), they will receive, in addition to both official titles:

• Accommodation in Buenos Aires for up to two weeks.
• Registration to compete in the Semifinals of the Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup 2026 in both categories.

Official Competition Requirements

For the competition to be considered official and for the official prizes to be awarded, the following minimum number of couples must participate in the Qualifying Round:

• Tango Stage Category: minimum of ten (10) couples.
• Tango Pista Category: minimum of twenty (20) couples.

These requirements apply regardless of the total number of registered participants.

OPEN CATEGORIES

Vals, Milonga, Senior & Solo Milonguer@

The first-place winning couple of La TURCA TANGO Champion 2027 in each Open Category will receive:

• The title of La Turca Tango Champion of the respective Open Category 2027.
• A trophy for each member of the winning couple.

The second-place winning couple will receive:

• An honourable mention.
• A trophy for each member of the couple.

The third-place winning couple will receive:

• An honourable mention.
• A trophy for each member of the couple.