BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 21st Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival will be held from Jan. 7 to Feb. 4, 2021, featuring 42 performances by artists from 24 countries.

This year's festival, which will be held online and offline, will include 31 online and 11 theater performances, six art exhibitions, a series of cultural activities for promoting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as themed discussion sessions, the sponsors told a press conference on Tuesday.

The festival will kick off with a concert featuring renowned Chinese artists and the China National Symphony Orchestra at the Beijing-based National Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 7.

Later, performances including German opera, Italian classical music and modern dances from France and Israel will be available free online.

The sponsors, which include the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Beijing Municipal Government, said arrangements may be adjusted to meet China's epidemic prevention and control requirements.