Whether it’s watching a dozen Olympic athletes compete in the Diamond League, enjoying free movie screenings, taking in a concert or watching stunt drivers perform at the Drift Championship finals, there’s no shortage of things to check over around tower over the next few days. Here are our picks:
Diamond League competition
Some of the world’s best athletes will be in Doha this weekend to compete in the 2015 IAAF Diamond League athletics tournament, including double Olympic Champion Mo Farah and top sprinter and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin.
The tournament kicks off on Friday, May 15 from 6pm onwards at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium at the Qatar Sports Club in West Bay. Doors open at 4:30pm, and a live concert is scheduled later in the evening.
Men’s events include the 100m, javelin, 400m hurdles and more, while the women’s event also has steeplechase, long jump and discus among others. Children below six years old are free but must sit on parents’ laps. Tickets cost QR50, QR100 and QR200 and can be bought online here.
Comedy show
Alive Entertainment is hosting a “Whose Line Is It Anyway” comedy show tonight (May 13) from 8pm to 10pm at the Grand Hyatt Doha.
During the evening, comedians Stephen Frost, Steve Steen, Andy Smart, Ian Coppinger and guest star Joe Rooney will perform improv in the spirit of the Whose Line show.
Tickets cost QR150/person and can be bought online here, or at the concierge desk. Call 4448 1234 for more information.
Jazz at the park
Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha will hold its last free outdoor concert of the season at the Museum of Islamic Art park tonight (May 13) from 6pm to 7pm.
The event is 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 fresh barbecue for purchase at the event.
DFI film screenings
A number of independent films will be shown this weekend by the Doha Film Institute at Katara Cultural Village, building 16, including a free screening of The Search.
The movie, which is about the Second Chechen War in 1999, will be shown at 4pm on Friday, May 15. Seating is limited because tickets are free. They can be reserved online here, or picked up at the venue, first come first served.
Other films that will be screened this weekend include award-winning Palestinian drama Omar, at 8pm tonight (May 13). A live feed of the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony will be shown before the movie.
2014 Turkish drama Winter Sleep, which examines the divide between the rich and poor, will play on Thursday, May 14 at 7pm. And Inside Llewyn Davis, about a young folk singer who navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1961, will be shown at 7:30pm on Friday, May 15.
Tickets cost QR35/person and can be bought online here.
‘Surprise’ symphony
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Haydn’s Surprise Symphony on Saturday, May 16 at the Katara Cultural Village Opera House. Doors open at 6:30pm for the 7:30 concert, which will be conducted by Elias Grandy.
Tickets cost QR75, QR100, QR150 and QR200 and can be bought online here. Children over the age of six years old are welcome, provided they have their own tickets. The dress code for the concert is formal – audience members wearing shorts or beach wear will not be seated.
Qatar Drift Championship finals
A winner will finally be crowned this weekend as the 2014-2015 Qatar Drift Championship comes to a close. Final rounds will commence on Friday, May 15 at the Qatar Racing Club.
Practice rounds will be held on Thursday until 9pm, and the finals will go until 8pm on Friday. There will also be a stunt show after the runs.
The event is free to attend, but fans are asked to RSVP online here.
What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?
