There’s a great line-up of events around town this weekend, particularly for sports fans and culture vultures. Offerings include tournaments in both beach football and beach volleyball, as well as free jazz in the park, a contemporary arts exhibition and family festival fun at Souq Waqif. Here are our picks:

Beach volleyball tournament

The Aspire Zone Foundation is hosting its inaugural beach volleyball tournament this weekend at the beach court at the Aspire Zone.

The event, which is being held in conjunction with the Qatar Volleyball Association, will feature male and female competitors over 17 years old. While registration is now closed, interested spectators are still welcome to attend the tournament, which will be held on April 17 and 18 from 3:30 to 6:30pm. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.

Jazz at Lincoln Center community concert

For a night of music under the stars, head over to the Museum of Islamic Art Park tonight, April 15, from 6 to 7:30pm to enjoy the talents of musicians from Jazz at the Lincoln Center (JALC).

The event is free and open to the public, and will feature award-winning jazz artists from around the world.

Attendees are invited to arrive at the stage near the MIA Park Cafe, and are encouraged to bring blankets, rugs and picnic baskets. There will also be live barbeque for purchase at the event.

Streetball and beach football tournaments

The Pearl-Qatar is organizing a streetball tournament, which is a more casual rendition of the traditional basketball format, on Friday, April 17 from 4pm onwards at the Streetball Courts at the Pearl.

The event, part of the Pearl Cup, is free and open to the public. Interested participants have until tonight, April 15, to register their teams of four. For more information, please email [email protected].

Simultaneously, the Pearl is also organizing a beach football tournament on the same day, from 10.30 am onwards at the Pearl’s Beach Football Court. Teams have until tonight to register their eight players via email to [email protected]. The event is free and open to the public.

MIA Exhibition – Qajar Women

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is hosting a two-month long exhibition focusing on depictions of Iranian women in contemporary art.

The exhibition, Qajar Women: Images of Women in 19th Century Iran, highlights the lives of Persian women as muses, challenging the narrative of the Qajar period being a male-dominated space.

It features paintings and photographs of various interpretations of female musicians, aristocrats, and courtesans.

The exhibition is open daily from 10:30am until 5:30pm on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, noon until 8pm on Thursday and Saturday and 2pm until 8pm on Friday. More information can be found online here.

Sotheby’s display

International auction house Sotheby’s is hosting an exhibition showcasing some of the best names in regional and international art at the Katara Art Center, ahead of their April 21 auction.

On display are several multi-million dollar pieces including British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor’s $1.2 million reflective disc Untitled; Chant Avedissian’s pop-culture inspired paintings of Egyptian politicians and celebrities, Icons of the Nile; and Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad’s $20,000 to $30,000 piece The Emergence of the Letter.

A 100-carat internally flawless diamond, appraised at some $19-25 million will also go under the hammer.

The public is welcome to view the works at Building 5 from 10am to 9pm from Sunday to Thursday, or from 2pm to 9pm on Friday and Saturday.

Souq Waqif festival

Take advantage of the last few days of OK weather and head over to Souq Waqif to check out a variety of entertainment, musical and theatrical events this weekend.

The souq is holding a festival until April 17. From 4pm until 9pm on those days, illusionists and acrobats will entertain audiences at the Souq Alley, which stretches the length of the entire venue. Simultaneously, the nearby Souq Waqif Art Center is also offering free art and craft workshops for children and families.

At the Majlis Al Dama, adults can partake in a competitive game of “Dama” or checkers, while children can head over to the Al Rayyan Theatre today and Thursday to catch childhood favorites Scooby Doo and the gang live on stage. For more information, ticket prices, and other details, visit the Souq’s website here.

Bonus:

• Origami workshop: Get those creative juices flowing by signing up for one of Katara’s origami workshops. The next one will be held on April 18 from 2pm to 6:30pm at the Katara Art Studios in Building 19. Hosted by Origami Addict Qatar, this weekend’s edition will focus on origami birds and insects, and costs QR100 to attend. Interested participants can register by sending their names and phone numbers to [email protected], or by calling 4408 0233 or 4408 1357. For more information and a schedule of events, visit the workshop’s Facebook page here.
• Charity walk: Northwestern University in Qatar’s alumni club is holding a 5K walk at Katara Cultural Village – Gate 17 on Saturday, April 18. Registration opens for the event at 3pm, and the walk goes from 4 to 5:30pm. Participants are asked to make a minimum donation of QR30, which will go toward the Educate a Child initiative, which aims to provide education for 10 million students around the world. Only cash donations will be accepted. A screening of the documentary “On the Way to School” will be held at 6pm and the event will conclude at 7:30pm.

What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?