From mall openings to wakeboarding lessons to desert excursions to a German choir concert and Zumba on a dhow cruise, there’s lots to do around town over the next few days. Here are our picks:

Doha Festival City opens

Mega-mall Doha Festival City (DFC) will soft-open to the public today (April 5).

Located off of Al Shamal Road next to IKEA, the QR6 million DFC will eventually host over 500 stores, including some 100 food and beverage outlets.

That includes the world’s largest Monoprix, Qatar’s first Harvey Nichols, a London-based luxury department store, and an Ace Hardware outlet.

Foodwise, Five Guys, Dean & Deluca and Cheesecake Factory are all slated to open at the mall.

In terms of entertainment, DFC has several theme parks in the works, though none are open for business yet. They include an indoor ski slope, an Angry Birds theme park and a gaming space for older teens and adults.

The mall opens at 10am today and will host “celebrations” at its Center Court at 11am and 6pm, according to its website.

Regular hours are 10am to 10pm, Sundays to Wednesdays; and 10am to midnight from Thursday to Saturday. The hypermarket opens one hour earlier every day and closes at midnight.

Wakeboarding lessons

Learn how to wakeboard with Sora Marine Training at Gate 18 of the Pearl Qatar. Experienced drivers and instructors are taking bookings for Thursdays and Sundays during the month of April.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSHTDorAA41/

The price is QR200 for a 20-minute lesson/tow, which includes equipment. Six tows is QR1,000.

For more information, call 3358–6728 or 4481 6473, or email [email protected].

The company also offers sailing and diving classes, among other lessons. More information is on its website.

Choir concert

The famous German Magdeburg Knabenchor will perform with Qatar’s own Doha Youth and Junior Choirs on Saturday, April 8.

Part of the Qatar German Year of Culture schedule, the event will take place at the German International School Doha. It runs from 7:30pm to 9pm.

Tickets cost QR55 and QR70/person and can be bought online. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

Mall of Qatar grand opening

Qatar’s Father Emir will officially open the Mall of Qatar on Saturday, April 8. The mall, which soft-opened in December, is located is located in Al Rayyan and is about a 10-minute drive from Education City.

We’re excited to celebrate the official opening of MOQ on April 8th. It will be full of surprises & festivities so don’t miss it! #MOQSpring pic.twitter.com/Gew99Lesl8

— Mall of Qatar (@MALLOFQATAR) April 4, 2017

To mark the occasion, famous classical crossover vocal group Il Divo will perform. There will also be live stage shows including Shaolin Warriors — a demonstration by more than 20 kung fu masters.

More information is available on the mall’s website.

365 Adventures

Local eco-tourism company 365 Adventures is hosting two separate events this Friday, April 7. One features a dhow cruise and Zumba, and the other involves two hours of dune bashing and sunset watching.

The dhow cruise and zumba event — called “Get on Ship; Get in Shape” — will take place between 2pm and 7pm.

The five-hour cruise will include swimming to Safliyah Island, where participants will Zumba under the sunset for 40 minutes. The event will also feature music, barbecue and karak. Cash bookings can be made here.

The Extreme Desert Show event will also take place on Friday between 2pm and 7pm. More information is here.

Open Studio night at the Fire Station

After months of hard work, artists in residence at the Fire Station will showcase their photography, videography, graphic design, painting and other art to the public this weekend.

All are invited to attend an open night on Saturday, April 8 from 5 to 9pm.

According to Qatar Museums, the aim of the residence program is to create a space that offers a local approach to creativity and artistic production for both locals and expats.

Harget Kart

Renowned Jordanian band Harget Kart will once again take the stage this weekend for a live performance at the Sheraton Grand Doha’s Backyard.

The event will take place on Thursday, April 6 from 8pm onwards, with an entry fee of QR150 per person (includes one drink). Attendees must present their Qatar IDs or passports before entering.

To book tickets, call the Sheraton on +974 44853000 or email [email protected]. More information about the event can be found here.

Bonus:

• Green urban cities: The Qatar Natural History Group is hosting a panel discussion tonight (April 5) on the sustainability aspects of turning urban areas in hot, arid climates into green oases. The event will start at 7pm at the Doha English Speaking School in Madinat Khalifa South. Refreshments are served from 6:30pm and all are welcome. More information is online here.
• Food festival: Qatar’s annual international food festival continues at the Hotel Park off of the Corniche until Saturday, April 8. The festival is divided into several different sections, including hotel food, organic cuisine, Instagram businesses, international food and an area with different embassies serving dishes from their countries. More information on is here.

What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?