After being cancelled last year due to the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, Beirut & Beyond, one of the region’s leading independent and alternative music festival, returns from December 4 to 7 with a packed and wide-ranging lineup at Metro Al Madina.
This year’s edition brings together artists from across the region and beyond, including Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, and Chile, with performances shaped by themes of resistance, liberation, displacement, and lived realities transformed through music.
Running alongside the performances is an expanded professional program featuring panels, workshops, meet-the-artist sessions, and industry-focused discussions. The program aims to provide regional artists with the guidance and resources needed to strengthen and push the independent scene forward.
On December 4, the opening night brings together a mix of rising and established voices from Lebanon and Palestine, including the Lebanese-Palestinian collective Bethlehem, Syrian vocalist Farah Azrak, and Lebanese acts Maud Zeinoun, Wet Silhouette, and Yaba & Mousa.
The momentum continues on December 5 with a lineup led primarily by Palestinian artists: Awtaf, Baraari x Julmud, Dakn, and Wari, alongside Tunisian producer Deena Abdelwahed and Lebanese artist Kays.
December 6 shifts the spotlight to collaborations and experimental projects. The evening features Lebanon’s Alborj and Bonne Chose, followed by a standout trio performance by Charbel Haber, Nicolas Jaar, and Sary Moussa. The program also includes sets by Kaddour x Tohme, emerging Lebanese artist Lena, and Nader Khalil, whose background spans Iran and Egypt.
Running parallel to the performances, the Professional Program opens on Friday, December 5, with a panel at the Arab Image Foundation examining how musicians navigate borders and geography within their practice.
Later that evening, One Hertz Studios hosts a spotlight session featuring the independent labels Manjam Records from Palestine and Keife Records from Jordan.
On December 6, events move to Beirut Art Center for a showcase by Mottamar: The Congress of Electronic and Innovative Arabic Music, followed by a panel discussion on sustaining artistic practice while securing funding.
The program concludes on December 7 with a joint gathering by Beirut & Beyond and Rumman, the Tripoli-based independent music festival, at Stereo Kawalis in Tripoli. Titled Beats & Bars, the closing night brings participating artists together for an informal evening of exchange and performance.
Overall, this year’s edition builds on the mission Beirut & Beyond first launched in 2013, when the festival emerged as a vital platform for independent talent at a time when structured support for the scene was largely absent.
