Stuff We Love
Michelle Ghoussoub

Ten Awesome Vintage Posters from the Baalbeck International Festival

There’s something magical about Lebanon’s Baalbeck festival. Sitting in an ancient Roman Acropolis hearing some of the world’s most famous voices resonate off its ancient stones is almost akin to an out-of-body experience.

Thanks to awesome vintage posters like these, we all have the chance to relive what some of the festival’s most iconic concerts must have been like.

And while this year’s event has being relocated to Jdeideh due to the country’s troubled security situation and ever-cited “spillover” from Syria, the spirit of the Baalbeck festival lives on.


1. Miles Davis

Yes, there was a time when the famed American jazz musician traveled all the way to Lebanon to perform at the internationally renowned festival.



2. Ella Fitzgerald

The one and only Ella Fitzgerald performed in 1971, advertising her concert with this simple and bright poster.




3. Fairuz

Ah, Fairuz. Your timeless poise, elegance, and nature-defying eyelashes are enough to make any Lebanese nostalgic for a time when your haunting voice graced Baalbeck’s stage. We love you.



4. Oum Kalthoum

The lady, the voice, the legend. What wouldn’t we all give to hear “Inta Omri” played live on Lebanese soil.



5. Myriam Makeba

Myriam Makeba, nicknamed Mother Africa, brought her awesome African tunes to the festival in 1975.



6. Herbet von Karajan

Austrian orchestra conductor Herbet von Karajan performed in 1968.



7. Maurice Bejart

Bejart’s world-famous Ballet du XXe siècle lit up the stage in 1975, only a few months before the outbreak civil war.



8. Alvin Ailey

In 1973, choreographer and activist Alvin Ailey’s revolutionary dance moves wowed the crowd.



9. Joan Baez

American folk singer and activist Joan Baez brought her famed songs wrought with social commentary to the stage in 1974.



10. Le Fou d’Elsa

Le Fou d’Elsa, a dramatic poem by Louis Aragon, was brought to life as a play in Baalbek live in 1974.



Want to get one of these bad boys for your home/office/dorm room/whatever? Head over to Plan Bey in Mar Mikhael to purchase one. Bam.