The singer Hiba Tawaji between the columns of Jupiter and Bacchus. (Credit: Nabil Ismail)
On the night of Aug. 8, 2025 — a night so anticipated it almost felt unreal — Hezbollah supporters burned tires and blocked the road to Baalbeck.— “So, are we still going?”— “Do you think they’ll cancel the show?”— “If it’s not officially canceled, I’m going.”— “Be careful… You never know what could happen.”Anxious and tired — whether from worry, the humid Lebanese summer, or the long drive from Beirut through the Bekaa’s arid landscapes — festivalgoers who believe in cultural resistance pushed on toward Baalbeck.Less than a year earlier, the thousand-year-old site seemed doomed. But Nayla de Freige, the festival’s president, held firm. Her persistence kept the event alive. Our interview before the concert Oussama Rahbani: We have prepared something absolutely crazy for Baalbeck! When we arrived, the dry continental air surprised...
On the night of Aug. 8, 2025 — a night so anticipated it almost felt unreal — Hezbollah supporters burned tires and blocked the road to Baalbeck.— “So, are we still going?”— “Do you think they’ll cancel the show?”— “If it’s not officially canceled, I’m going.”— “Be careful… You never know what could happen.”Anxious and tired — whether from worry, the humid Lebanese summer, or the long drive from Beirut through the Bekaa’s arid landscapes — festivalgoers who believe in cultural resistance pushed on toward Baalbeck.Less than a year earlier, the thousand-year-old site seemed doomed. But Nayla de Freige, the festival’s president, held firm. Her persistence kept the event alive. Our interview before the concert Oussama Rahbani: We have prepared something absolutely crazy for Baalbeck! When we...
