From football tournaments to motorsport fun to a spring festival at the souq to movies in the park, there’s lots going on around town over the next few days.
Here are our picks:
Sheikh Jassim Cup
Watch two of the biggest names in local football clash at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 21) from 6pm onwards.
Football clubs Lekhwiya and Al Sadd with face off against each other for the title of the Sheikh Jassim Cup winner.
Historically held between the winners of the Qatar Stars League and the Emiri Cup, the Sheikh Jassim Cup has been won by the Al Sadd Club 13 times since its inception in 1977. Tickets to the match can be bought at the door.
Cinema under the stars
DFI will kick off its annual Cinema Under the Stars series on Saturday, Jan. 23 with the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast.
The movie starts at 7:30pm at the MIA park. Watch Belle, Gaston, the Beast, and a host of lively inanimate objects take to the large screen at the free and open-for-all event.
Arabian Drag Racing League
Qatar’s biggest and most competitive motorsport event returns this year as the Qatar Racing Club opens its track to spectators and participants for the second round of the Arabian Drag Racing League.
The event will be held on Jan. 22 from 4 to 9pm at the QRC venue in the Industrial Area. hundreds of participants will compete across 11 categories for their respective wins, in a night of fast-paced, homegrown, fast-and-furious-like action.
Interested residents can register to attend the free event via Eventbrite. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.
Souq Waqif Spring Festival
One of Qatar’s most visited tourist hotspots, Souq Waqif, is scheduled to launch its annual spring festival on Friday, Jan 22, from 3:30 to 10pm.
The event runs through Feb. 4 and will see street entertainment such as stilt walkers and performers winding their way throughout the Souq’s streets at regular intervals.
Additionally, there will be shows for children and families in a new area above the newly-created North parking lot featuring acrobats, stilt-walkers and a “nature parade show” and a “pigeons show.”
A “giant fountain circus show” will also be held twice daily, from 4:30 until 5:40pm, then again from 7:30 until 8:40pm in a performance space behind Al Rayyan TV. For more information, see our story here.
U23 AFC semi-finals
Sitting comfortably on top of the points table for Group A, Qatar is scheduled to take on North Korea for a shot at the AFC Under-23 Championship title.
The match will be held on Friday, Jan. 22, from 7:30pm onwards at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. On the same day, Japan will face off against Iran from 4:30pm onwards at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.
A third quarter-final will be held between South Korea and the yet undeclared runner up of Group D on Jan. 23, from 4:30pm onwards at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium, while Iran will compete against the Group D winner on the same day, from 7:30pm at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Tickets to the matches can be bought online here.
CAT quiz night
Help raise funds for needy felines in Qatar at the Cat Assistance Team’s first quiz night of the year on Thursday, Jan. 21, from 7pm onwards at the Doha Rugby Club.
Teams of six can register by emailing their names and IDs to [email protected], and paying QR50 per person at the door.
There will be trivia, good food, raffle prizes and a silent auction. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page here.
Fairs and bazaars
The MIA Bazaar returns this weekend, with some 150 vendors selling local and handmade artifacts, clothing, decor, and accessories from noon to 8pm every Saturday.
On the other side of town, international charity organization Reach Out to Asia is also hosting a weekend fair, dubbed “Asmahan’s Fair,” from noon to 7pm on Jan. 20 and 21 at the HBKU Student Center. Both events are free and open to the public.
Bonus:
- Art workshop: Get creative this weekend by signing up for a three-day long collage and painting workshop at the Katara Art Studios. Held from 5 to 8pm on Jan. 20-23, the workshop costs QR500 per person, and will be held by artist Kati Verebics. To register, send your name and number to [email protected], or call +974 4408 0233.
- Eat the rainbow: Color therapists, vegan advocates and healthy living experts will hold a two-hour long workshop on Jan. 23 about transforming the way food is consumed. The event costs QR400/person and will be held at the Chef’s Garden in Al Shaqab. To register, contact [email protected] by 7pm on Thursday, Jan. 21. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.
- History of Purple Island: The Qatar Natural History Group will hold a talk on Purple Island tonight (Jan. 20) at 7pm at the Doha English Speaking School (DESS) in Madinat Khalifa South. The talk will be given by Prof. Robert Carter, PhD, who teaches Arabian and Middle Eastern Archaeology at UCL Qatar. He will discuss “four thousand years of occupation on a very small island in the bay of Al-Khor.” There will be light refreshments from 6:30pm and a Q&A session afterwards.
What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?
