On Monday, 28 July 2025, Lebanon bade farewell to the iconic theatrical artist and musician Ziad Rahbani, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 69.

The farewell ceremonies were marked by the presence of his mother, the legendary singer Fairuz, making her first public appearance at an event in years. Lebanon’s First Lady, Nayla Aoun, alongside several prominent officials and artists, also attended the solemn occasion.

The funeral was held at the Church of Our Lady of Dormition in Mount Lebanon, where Fairuz, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, arrived accompanied by her daughter Rima Rahbani, her sister and fellow artist Huda Haddad, and other members of the Rahbani family.

Ziad Rahbani died in hospital after a battle with liver disease, leaving behind a rich legacy of music and theatre that profoundly shaped Lebanon’s artistic scene. On Monday morning, hundreds of his fans gathered outside a Beirut hospital to accompany the transfer of his body to a mountainous area northeast of the capital, where the burial took place in the afternoon. More than a thousand fans had assembled outside BMG Hospital from the early hours, responding to calls shared across social media and messaging groups.

As condolences were exchanged, his melodies and voice echoed from passing cars. A group of mourners broke into song, performing some of his most beloved works, including “When for the First Time We’re Not Together”, his first song composed for his mother Fairuz.

When Ziad’s body was transported from the hospital, escorted by a police motorcycle, the crowd erupted into applause, synchronised with the tolling of nearby church bells. Many, overcome with emotion, scattered flowers and rice over the casket, while others ululated from the streets and balconies of the neighbourhood where Rahbani had lived and worked, often frequenting its cafés.

Some among the mourners called for the coffin to be taken out of the vehicle so that the crowd could have a final glimpse, carry it on their shoulders, and parade it around the district he loved. Others echoed recent social media calls for the declaration of a National Day of Mourning and the lowering of the Lebanese flag in recognition of his stature.

Born on 1 January 1956, Ziad Rahbani was a composer, musician, and stage artist who began his artistic journey in the early 1970s with his play “Sahriya”. His satirical plays of the 1970s and 1980s achieved resounding success, capturing the struggles of Lebanese society in all its diversity, and reflecting the tensions that fuelled the civil war.

He composed numerous songs, most of them for his mother Fairuz, as well as for other renowned singers.