From awesome equestrian stunts to award-winning film screenings to a kite-flying competition to buggy races and an Aladdin show, there is lots to do around town this weekend.

Here are our picks:

Kite flying demonstration

A competitive kite-flying team from India will be in town on Friday (March 3) to hold a demonstration at Katara beach, Gulf Times reports.

Headed by professional kite flyer Abdulla Maliyekkal, the team will fly $4,000 kites made by Peter Lynn, a professional kite maker from New Zealand.

Over the last few years, the team performed in several places, including Kuala Lumpur, China and India.

The event, which is scheduled to take place between 3pm and 6pm, is organized by the One India Kite Team, based out of the South Indian town of Kozhikode.

Video Games Live

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is hosting an immersive concert on Saturday, March 4 at 8pm at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) Theatre.

The event will feature music from some of the world’s most popular video games ever created, produced and hosted by video game composer and musician Tommy Tallarico.

QPO will perform with top orchestras and choirs around the world, alongside synchronized video footage and music arrangements.

There will also be synchronized lighting, well-known internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments (see last year’s show here).

Tickets start at QR75 and go up to QR500/person and can be purchased online. The concert is open to anyone over the age of six years old.

Live shows at Mall of Qatar

Some world-class theatrical performances will kick off at the Mall of Qatar for the first time this Friday between 7:15 and 9:15pm.

Qatar’s first “MOQ LIVE show” will feature seven different productions with performers casted from all around the world dressed in costumes designed by top industry professionals.

One of the shows, PULSE, tells the story of Drummy, who gets lost in a world ruled by Robots. Through a musical journey, Drummy is eventually rescued by a group of musicians and dancers and finds his way out and is eventually saved from the robots.

The performances are free and open to all. More information is here.

CHI Al Shaqab

The prestigious equestrian event CHI Al Shaqab in which riders compete in jumping, dressage and para-dressage will open tomorrow at 9:30am.

It runs through March 4 at the Al Shaqab stables in Qatar Foundation.

In addition to competition, visitors can check out a festival area with pony and horse-carriage rides, henna painters and falcon handlers, among others. Food and beverages will be on sale.

Ticket prices for entry to the horse competitions cost between QR35 and QR2,500 for adults. For children, they range from QR15 to QR1,250.

On Friday and Saturday, VIP children tickets cost QR750 while adult VIP tickets cost QR1,500. Children five years old and younger enter for free.

Tickets are available online here and at the ticket booth in the Al Shaqab Spectator Plaza. 

Qumra Screenings

The Doha Film Institute will host the third edition of Qumra this weekend to support local filmmaking through creative master classes with budding regional talent.

The festival is scheduled to run from March 3 to 11 and includes three main components: masterclasses for filmmakers, industry meetings and public screenings.

Screenings kick off tonight and include films made by this year’s Qatar Masters, as well as movies from “new voices in cinema.”

The former category includes La Ciénaga (2001) by Lucrecia Martel, About Elly (2009) by Asghar Farhadi, The Missing Picture (2013) by Rithy Panh, L’il Quinquin (2014) by Bruno Dumont, and Lisbon Story (1994) by Wim Wenders.

In the New Voices in Cinema segment, the films include Tramontane by Vatche Boulghourjian; Dogs by Bogdan Florian Mirică; I Have Been Watching You All Along by Rawda Al-Thani; Our Time Is Running Out by Meriem Mesraoua; Kashta by A.J. Al Thani; Turtles Are Always Home by Rawane Nassif; Red by Kholood Al Ali; Holy Cow by Imamaddin Hasanov; and Mimosas by Oliver Laxe.

All films will be screened at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium. Tickets can be bought online here.

Red Bull Qaher El T3ous

Qatar’s first head-to-head T3 buggy race will take place this Friday, March 3 at the Sealine Desert starting at 2pm.

Red Bull Qaher El T3ous – which translate to “conquerer of the dunes” – is inviting the country’s racing enthusiasts, both motorsport amateurs and dune racers, to compete against one another.

The event will be hosted by Red Bull and supervised by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF).

The event will conclude with a prize ceremony, where first place winners receive a T3 buggy, while second and third-place participants win prizes from Speed Marine.

Entrance to standing & seated grandstand area is free for public at #QaherElT3ous! See you at #Sealine this Friday 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R62vlunXhp

— Red Bull Qatar (@RedBullQatar) February 28, 2017

Those who wish to participate in the race can do so by registering here. Participants are required to bring their own helmets, gloves, overall racing suit and closed-toe shoes that cover their ankles.

Spectators can check out the competition from the Standing or Grandstand Seated Area for free, or purchase a VIP ticket for QR399 from Virgin Megastore.

Qatar Running Series – Star Edition

In the mood for a run? Head over to Oxygen Park this Friday to participate in the “Picses Challenge,” which is being hosted by the Qatar Running Series.

The event, which will be restricted to only 120 participants, will include running distances ranging from 3K to a full marathon. 

The start time for the Marathon will take place at 2am, 6am for the Half-Marathon and 7am for the 3, 5 and 10k runs.

Water stations at both the start and finish lines will be available. The event will also hand out race bibs and custom designer finisher’s medal for all distances. Trophies for the top 3 finishers will be handed out in male and female categories.

Ticket prices for adults cost QR120 per person/race. Those below the age of 18 pay QR60 only.

More information on point systems and other races is here.

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

Head over to Katara’s souq-themed recreational area Magical Festival Village for an Aladdin and the Magic Lamp show anytime between tonight and Saturday, March 4.

The show will take place at the festival’s Teatro, located on the Katara beachfront, from 7pm to 9pm.

Ticket prices range between QR100 and QR350, and can be purchased here.

Bonus:

• Secrets of the Simpsons: Award winning American television comedy writer Mike Reiss, and one of the prominent writers of The Simpsons, will be in town on Sunday, March 5 to share some anecdotes and secrets from behind the scenes of the show. The event will take place at the Shangri-La Hotel between 7:30 and 9:30pm. Tickets cost QR280 for adults and QR180 for children below 15 (dinner included). They can be purchased at the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar offices in West Bay.

What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?