In response to last year’s high turnout, Souq Waqif has announced plans to hold an extended festival next month that will include amusement park games, shows, live painting and workshops.

The festival will run from April 4 to April 18, officials announced yesterday – a week longer than last April’s event.

It is being timed so that residents and tourists can enjoy the souq’s offerings during the mid-term break from schools, director Mohammed Al Salem said, according to QNA.

The festival will run from 4pm to 10pm daily. A detailed schedule of events has not yet been released.

But Al Salem said there will be an amusement park consisting of several games for adults and children, including an express train, bumper cars and a ship ride.

Other games will aim to enhance memory and increase the focus of children from different ages, he added.

Entertainment

Meanwhile, some 30 Qatari, Arab and Western artists will draw paintings about Qatar’s environment live in front of the crowds.

There will also be entertainment from local groups, as well as stilt walkers and performers who will wind their way through the souq’s streets, in line with previous festivals.

For its part, the Souq Waqif Arts Center will host educational art workshops for children that will be held daily.

Festival visitors can park in the underground car park near the Corniche.

Above-ground parking has been closed off for months, as work is still underway to construct a second underground parking lot near the Falcon Souq.

Souq Waqif is a popular hotspot for residents and tourists alike, especially during school vacations.

It typically holds a handful of special events a year, including a spring festival that ended in February and attracted a large number of people.

Do you plan to check out the latest event there? Thoughts?