Hiba Tawaji Live at The Olympia: A Star-Studded Celebration
- Kimberly Porter
- May 22
- 3 min read
A Night of Musical Brilliance: Hiba Tawaji Enchants the Olympia with Star Guests and Unforgettable Performances
Hiba Tawaji is set to release an album of her live performance at The Olympia, one year after her first major concert at the venue. The album will be available digitally on May 29th, 2025 with a vinyl edition expected later in the year.
Le Parisien is already calling it “a triumphant debut,” and the album is expected to feature around twenty songs in both French and Arabic. Listeners will soon be able to experience Hiba’s diverse repertoire and her exciting collaborations with leading artists from the French music scene.
With her powerful and captivating voice, Hiba delivers lyrics on varied themes such as love, women, roots, and nostalgia for her native Lebanon. Her songs touched the Olympia audience in a warm and festive atmosphere, punctuated by powerfully emotional moments.
Hiba performed the French songs from this album accompanied by prestigious guests. The legendary Lara Fabian joined her on stage to perform two songs: "Broken Vow" and her famous hit "Je T'aime," a vocal performance that truly ignited the concert. The surprise appearance of Ibrahim Maalouf, to whom the singer is married, heightened the intensity of this moment of the evening. The renowned trumpeter also joined her on several tracks. Matthieu Chedid, the star guitarist and singer, performed "Le Radeau" and "Mappemonde" with Ibrahim and Hiba. An iconic trio that electrified the crowd. Moving performances followed with the singing duo Madame Monsieur on the track "Pour savoir d'où je viens," followed by Ycare, with whom Hiba performed their joint work "Les Cèdres," a poem dedicated to Lebanon.
One of the highlights of the evening was the surprise appearance of Florent Pagny, a true icon of French song, who had only announced his return to the stage in 2026. It was in front of an amazed audience that they performed "Savoir Aimer," which will be the first single from the album, to be released on April 30th. This unique performance was widely shared in the press and on social networks after the concert.
As musical director and piano player, renowned Lebanese producer and composer Oussama Rahbani brought together a prestigious ensemble of musicians to deliver a set that perfectly blends Arabic music and French chanson. Oussama Rahbani has been Hiba Tawaji's musical partner for 17 years.
( L-R): Ibrahim Maalouf, Hiba Tawaji and Florent Pagny | Images: Guillaume Oster
Considered one of the most beautiful voices in contemporary Arabic music, Hiba Tawaji is a true star in the Middle East. A regular guest on the region's finest stages, she made history in 2017 by becoming the first singer to perform in concert in Saudi Arabia. Among her signature songs is "La Bidayi wala Nihayi," the Arabic version of Michel Legrand's famous work, "Les Moulins de mon cœur." The song became a huge hit in the Arab world, also topping the charts in many European countries.
With six songs in French, this album also marks Hiba's establishment on the French music scene. Her notable participation in season 4 of The Voice, where she reached the semi-finals, revealed the Lebanese star to the French public. She has since continued to cause a sensation by playing Esmeralda in the famous musical Notre-Dame de Paris, for the grand return of this cult show to France in 2016. The play has toured worldwide and continues to meet with immense success. On December 7, 2024, she participated in the reopening ceremony of the legendary Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. Accompanied by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel, she majestically performed Ave Maria by Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante. A highlight broadcast live on French and international television, garnering more than 30 million viewers in France alone and widely shared on social media. On May 8, 2025, during the grand ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Victory of May 8, 1945, she brilliantly performed "La Vie en rose" by Edith Piaf, accompanied by her husband Ibrahim Maalouf on the trumpet, and the Orchestre National de France, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru. A performance with strong symbolism, which left a lasting impression on viewers.
Hiba is also preparing her first studio album, sung exclusively in French, which promises to mark a new milestone in her career on the French and Francophone scene.
May 29, 2025, will undoubtedly be a milestone day for all those who discover and rediscover one of the most beautiful voices in contemporary music.