Displaced families stuck in traffic, March 2026 -- photo Ahmad Badr/NRC

Here are community-led efforts in Lebanon supporting the displaced

With an unprecedented minimum of 450,000 people displaced in Lebanon, community-led efforts are again working to provide basic aid. These often overlap with the very music and creative communities I’ve written about here, in the country and internationally. And they can benefit from your support.

25 years of improvisation and experimentation at Lebanon’s Irtijal

Young independent outlet Megaphone tells the story of Irtijal Festival’s impact on Beirut and Lebanon through local eyes and a compilation of the folks who made it happen. It’s a must-watch as a way of reflecting on the spaces we create for music in all parts of the world.

Peter Kirn - May 19, 2025

Must-listen: Claudia Khachan and Ziad Moukarzel in musical dialogue

Have you ever, half-asleep, felt a melody drift with ease through your brain, humming with electricity, only to lose it again? In The Vapornet, Claudia Khachan and Ziad Moukarzel mind-meld in a collaboration that makes that moment come alive.

Peter Kirn - May 2, 2025