The Alien Festival of Capilla del Monte
Ten days of costumes, parades, UFO conferences, films and music at the foot of Uritorco, every February since 2012. Free entry. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year in Capilla del Monte: if you come, book ahead.
The next edition
The municipality has not yet announced the dates of the 2027 edition. It is always in the first half of February. As soon as they are published they will be here and in the calendar.
How the 2026 edition went
It ran from 6 to 15 February. It opened on Friday 6 with the inaugural parade and shows at 5 Esquinas, with local artists and guest bands. Saturday 7 brought the final parade and the costume contest awards, followed by Nawwan, Marcianos and an Enanitos Verdes tribute before the headline show by Los Tipitos.
The rest of the week had the conference cycle with speakers such as Ricardo González, alien-doll workshops, stargazing nights and genre film screenings. And carnival, the same week.
What happens at the festival
- The paradeThe heart of the festival: locals and visitors parade through downtown dressed as aliens, and on Saturday the best costumes win prizes. You take part; no need to sign up to watch.
- The conferencesA cycle of talks on ufology and related topics with well-known speakers from the scene. They are the "serious" side of the festival and fill the halls.
- Stargazing and the mountainSky-watching nights, in a February that is summer with afternoon storms, and the official guided night climbs of Uritorco, with advance booking.
- Film, music and fairsGenre films at the Enrique Muiño Cinema Theatre, shows on the 5 Esquinas stage, mystic and craft fairs.
- CarnivalThe same week, the town's carnival. It overlaps with the festival and the street never stops.
If you come to the festival
- Book lodging months aheadIt is one of the busiest weeks of the year, along with Easter and the July holidays. The lodgings that work with Viví Capilla are booked on WhatsApp; the full directory is on the site.Where to stay →
- Buses sell outOvernight buses from Buenos Aires and Rosario for the parade weekend sell out weeks ahead. Once the date is confirmed, buy it.Schedules and tickets →
- February is summerDays of 27 degrees on average, afternoon storms that pass in an hour, rivers in full flow. Sunscreen, hat and water; something warm for the night.The weather in February →
- Costumes are the thingNot mandatory, but half the town goes in costume. There are doll-making workshops during the festival and the contest rewards creativity.
Where it comes from
The first edition was in February 2012, driven by residents and merchants together with the municipality. It grew year after year into Capilla del Monte's biggest event and one of the most singular in the country.
The festival celebrates something the town has carried since 9 January 1986: the oval mark of scorched grass that appeared on Cerro Pajarillo, facing Uritorco, and made Capilla Argentina's UFO capital. Erks, the inner-earth city, and the UFO Information Centre are the other half of that story.
Keep going
Sources: Municipality of Capilla del Monte, press (Perfil, La Jornada Web, Conclusión) and the Viví Capilla team archive. Verified 10/09/2026.