Lebanon is but a strip of mountains by the sea, a land of multiple identities, of junctions and encounters, a land where East Meets West... Music transcends the boundaries of nations...

Al Bustan is Arabic for "The Garden"

The Al Bustan International Festival of Music and the Arts takes place in the village of Beyt Meri, on a hillside overlooking the magnificent city of Beirut and the Mediterranean beyond, nestling amidst old pine trees and surrounded by flowering gardens.

Over five weeks in February and March, the Festival has about 30 performances including opera; symphonic, choral and chamber music; dance; theatre; solo recitals; oriental music; and jazz.

A catalyst for the Arts since its inception in 1994, the Al Bustan Festival has become an important international cultural event.

By fostering the Arts and creating a Festival of quality and artistic excellence, comparable with the best in the world, the Al Bustan Festival is a major contributor to the cultural life of Lebanon.


Since the Al Bustan Festival was founded in 1994, it has established in Lebanon a unique and unprecedented tradition of a music season in winter.

The founders wished to revive the cultural life of a country reemerging after seventeen years of war. The Festival has indeed reached its objective, presenting each year more than thirty performances over a five week period in February and March. With a predominance of chamber music, the Festival also includes opera, orchestral concerts, choral concerts, dance, marionettes and theatre.

The Festival takes special care in presenting each year a rich and homogeneous programme focused around a special theme, celebrating the culture of a country or a city, or exploring a special subject. The Festival likes to be daring in its choice of artists, works and performances.