More than 30,000 gathered at Velez Stadium on rainy first night of Esperanza Buenos Aires
BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 8, 2025 — A colorful crowd of rain-soaked ponchos filled Velez Stadium on Friday night as thousands of people came to hear a powerful message of hope.
“This is my second time in Buenos Aires. I was here when my father preached in 1991. It’s great to be back in this beautiful country. I love the people of Argentina,” Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), told the crowd. “If you don’t remember anything else tonight, remember this—God loves you. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven to this earth—not to condemn us but to save us.”
Following the message, Rev. Graham invited those in attendance to turn from their sins and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Thousands of people responded by publicly coming forward to make decisions for Christ, including a 30-year-old woman named Adriana. It has been many years since she has attended church, but on Friday night, she said her life changed after hearing Rev. Graham preach.
“He spoke about sins and that really touched me. The fact that he was willing to tell all people [about sin], from the stage, in front of so many people—I know that impacted all the people here, not just me. God is calling me back. God spoke to me a lot about my sins and it really got to my heart. This event renewed my faith. I go home very blessed and encouraged to follow Christ.”
Nearly 2,500 evangelical churches throughout the capital cityhave been partnering with BGEA for Esperanza Buenos Aires, and the churches that helped organize the festival will be coming alongside Adriana and all those who made decisions on Friday.
Ale Nüesch, BGEA’s church coordinator for Esperanza Buenos Aires, said, “I was blown away and surprised by the number of people who came forward tonight. It’s incredible to see so many lives be changed at one moment here in this stadium. It’s beyond words. This is not common—we’re not used to seeing things like what just happened. It’s a miracle from heaven, and we thank God for each and every person whose life was transformed today by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.”
All are welcome to attend the second night of Esperanza Buenos Aires, which will begin at 6:00 p.m. tonight. There will be live music from Rescate, a local Argentinian Christian band, as well as award-winning American musicians Michael W. Smith and Charity Gayle.
To learn more about Esperanza Buenos Aires, visit EsperanzaBuenosAires.com.
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MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Journalists are invited to attend Esperanza Buenos Aires. To RSVP, contact Damian Sileo at damiantrabajando@gmail.com or +54 9 11 4085 2308.
ABOUT FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION
Founded by Billy Graham in 1950, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shares the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. Franklin Graham is continuing the lifelong work of his father, Billy Graham, who preached to 259,000 people in Buenos Aires in November 1991. The event at Estadio Monumental had a tremendous impact on the church in Argentina and many of the people whose lives changed during that outreach are now partnering with Franklin Graham and BGEA to reach Buenos Aires once more with the power of the Gospel.
Franklin Graham held his first evangelistic event in 1989, and since then, he has preached at more than 345 outreaches in 55 countries. Earlier this year, Rev. Graham proclaimed the hope of Jesus Christ in Brussels, Belgium; London, England; and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After preaching in Buenos Aires, he is looking forward to sharing the Gospel in Nagaland, India; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Lima, Peru; and Madrid, Spain, in the coming months.
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