A LIVING LEGACY

For seventy years, the Baalbeck International Festival has transformed an archaeological landscape into a living stage, bringing together heritage, artistic creativity, and cultural dialogue. Its history lives not only in the names of the artists who performed there, but also in the photographs, recordings, programs, posters, tickets, correspondence, and memories preserved in archives.

The collections preserved at the American University of Beirut offer a window into this history from multiple perspectives: the monumental Festival of Baalbeck, the artists who performed there, the Lebanese cultural movements that developed on its stage, and the people who worked behind the scenes to make the Festival possible.

From the ancient temples of Heliopolis to the performances of contemporary artists, Baalbeck has continued to inspire artists from Lebanon and around the world. Even today, major international artists regard performing at Baalbeck as a distinctive and prestigious experience, drawn by the legendary and almost mythical character of its ancient setting. Its story is ultimately a story of continuity: of a place whose cultural life has repeatedly been renewed, and of a Festival that continues to imagine what can happen when art, history, and place meet.

Special thanks to Baalbeck International Committee and Mrs. Rima Said Shehadeh.