“Aura battles” began as a social media phenomenon but are now bleeding onto the streets, as teens face off against each other in the hope of winning prize money and respect.
The “aura” trend first became a phenomenon back in late 2024. “Aura farming” is an act of deliberately projecting confidence, charisma, or coolness in order to increase how impressive or admired you appear to others.
Now, this social media-born phenomenon has spilled over onto the streets of Latin America, as individuals from the TikTok generation compete against each other in “aura battles”.
How aura battles work
The battles see two people stand opposite one another and take turns performing dances, poses, gestures, facial expressions, or referencing internet memes.
The two competitors do not engage each other in a verbal or physical confrontation. Instead, it is the reactions of the surrounding crowd that determines who has demonstrated the most “aura”.
“Whoever looks the best, shows it off, gets the most laughs and has the most confidence wins,” said the organizer of a battle in Mexico City, Aldhir Gonzalez, speaking to France24.
It was at this tournament that 14-year-old Carlos Irving Quintana tried to score points against his opponent with a re-enactment of Cristiano Ronaldo’s “SUI” celebration, followed by “mewing” – meaning he sucked his cheeks in and tensed his jaw in an effort to emphasize his attractiveness.
His opponent countered by stretching out his hands and juggling something invisible, emulating the “6-7 trend” that has become so ubiquitous amongst young people.
Quintana reached the final but was beaten by the competition winner, Kaled Rosales Salazar, who pretended to lasso his opponent. Rosales left with 3,000 pesos (about $177) in prize money, along with “infinite aura”.
Similar battles have taken place in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and other countries across the region. Some, such as Honduras, have banned them. However, in Venezuela, a psychologist said they are good for teens as they “can lead to more in-person encounters.”
For more like this, check out our coverage of the celebrity “aura ranking” website, or “6-7” winning word of the year in 2025.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
