Rainy weather forecast notwithstanding, there are a slew of activities on around Qatar for the next few days, including a food festival, sporting events, musical concerts and a colorful Rang Barse celebration.

Here are our picks:

Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar

One of the most highly anticipated motorsport events, the 2015 MotoGP Championships, will hold their first grand prix of the season this weekend at the Losail International Circuit.

The event starts on Thursday, March 26, with two practice days for the riders, culminating in qualifying races on Saturday and final races on Sunday.

Riders across the three motor racing classes: Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP will all take part in various events held over the four-day long prix, with finals slated for 6pm, 7:20pm, and 9pm respectively on March 29.

Regular grandstand tickets for the weekend cost QR200/person while VIP village tickets that grant attendees access to a hospitality area above the pit garages, a gourmet dinner, a paddock tour and a pit lane walk cost QR2,550 for one day and QR3,250 for two days.

Tickets can be purchased from 8:30am to 1pm and 5 to 8pm at the QMMF office behind Radisson Blu Hotel, at the Losail Circuit prior to races, or online by filling out a Ticket Order form and emailing it to [email protected]. Find a detailed schedule here, or visit QMMF’s website or MotoGP’s website for more information.

Beach Soccer World Cup

The Asian Qualifiers of the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, an international tournament held this year in Portugal, will take place daily until March 28 at the Katara Cultural Village Beach.

Some 14 teams from the Middle East and East Asia are competing in a series of matches for three spots at the Portugal tournament. The Katara venue includes a fan zone with activities and events for the whole family.

The event is free and open to the public. Matches will be held from 12:30pm on Wednesday, 4:15 pm on Thursday and Friday, and 3pm on Saturday, with the final being held at 8pm. For more information and a detailed schedule of matches, visit the event’s website here.

Qatar International Food Festival

Now in its sixth year, the annual Qatar International Food Festival, a five-day long culinary feast showcasing the best of local and regional cuisine, will be held at the Museum of Islamic Art Park until Saturday, March 28.

The event will be open from 1 to 10:30pm daily, and features, among various tasting stalls, a daily fireworks show, musical performances, dances, and other activities.

There is also a live cooking section, an ongoing photo competition, and a seaside dining in the sky option.

For more information on prices, parking, and offerings, visit our detailed guide here, or the event’s website here.

Artistic Gymnastics World Cup

The 8th edition of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup, an intense three-day long tournament featuring some 128 of the world’s best gymnasts, kicks off today (Wednesday), March 25, at the Aspire Zone.

Several Olympic gold medalists will compete at the event, which will also see newcomer Colombia testing their 2016 Rio Games gymnastics squad. Competitions will be held from 1pm daily, and are free and open to the public. For more information, visit the event’s website here.

Aqua Park opening

Qatar’s largest water theme park is slated to reopen for the season on Thursday, March 26, with a three-day long celebration featuring several international cover artists and Filipino musicians.

Pitbull cover artist Okan Yasin, Filipino rapper Gloc 9 and comedians Ahmed Ahmed, Edwin San Juan and Johnny Sanchez are slated to perform across the three days, in addition to other unique performers like mermaids and a “human candy table.”

Entrance costs QR130 for adults, QR100 for children, QR50 for nannies and QR70 for visitors with special needs, and are available online. For more information, visit the event’s website or its Facebook page.

Torch Run

The fourth annual Aspire Torch Run, during which participants race to climb some 1,304 steps, will take place on March 27 and 28 at the Torch Doha Hotel.

The first race will take place on March 27 at 9am, and is open to residents over 18 years old who have undergone training prior to the race. The second race will consist of the top 30 men and women from Race 1, who will then compete in a separate afternoon heat. The final match, dubbed “The World Championships Race,” will then take place on March 28.

Race entry is closed, but members of the public are invited to cheer on participants, which includes both professional athletes and amateur runners. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.

Qatar marathon

To help promote healthy living in Qatar, the Al Sadd Sports Club is urging residents to participate in a potentially record-breaking marathon this weekend, March 27, at 1pm. Originally slated to be held on Feb. 6, the event hopes to draw in some 50,000 attendees to participate in the 21.1km half-marathon.

Under the slogan “Run with Qatar,” organizers of the Qatar Mega-Marathon 2015 hope to simultaneously break the Guinness World Record for the most runners in a single marathon, which is currently held by the US.

Interested residents can register for the half-marathon online here, or visit the event’s Facebook page for more information.

Qatar Music Academy student concert

Listen to some of Qatar’s most talented young classical musicians at the QMA Student Concert this weekend, March 28, from 4pm onwards at Auditorium 3 at the Qatar National Convention Center.

Students will perform both Arab and Western music at the two-hour concert, which is free and open to the public. For more information, visit QMA’s website here.

Earth Hour

Several local organizations are encouraging Doha residents to celebrate Earth Hour by turning off their lights for an hour this Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 to 9:30pm.

Some 162 companies are slated to participate in this worldwide event. More information about the two dozen participating hotels and organizations can be found here.

Rang Barse

Almost two weeks after the Indian spring festival of Holi, local events company Red Apple is hosting Rang Barse, a colorful dance festival on March 27, at the Doha Marriott Hotel Beachfront.

The event, which starts at 2pm, features several local DJs playing Bollywood beats, a food court with Indian food, color stalls, water guns and various other activities.

Participants from Coke Studio, an Indian musically-themed television series, are also scheduled to perform at the event. Tickets cost QR150/person for regular entry (QR200 at the door), QR250/person for VIP and QR5,500 for VVIP (admits five), and can be bought online or at various Doha Rocks Cafe locations, Jamila’s Rasoi at Safari Mall, Zaffran Cafe, Aalishan Restaurant or Biryani Hut.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here. The event is open to the public, and children above the age of 11 are required to enter with a ticket.

What are your weekend plans? Thoughts?