Held during off peak periods, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA)-organised festival attracted a large number of domestic and foreign visitors, mainly from neighbouring GCC countries such as Saudi Arabia.
In a press statement, QTA noted that the 29,000sqm Entertainment City, main venue of the festival located at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC), received more than 140,000 visitors this year.
“We have received encouraging feedback on the third edition of this festival, and are looking forward to building on this success to explore exciting new opportunities that can support Qatar’s growing events calendar,” said QTA’s chief Marketing and Promotion officer Rashed al-Qurese.
He also thanked their partners in the public and private sector for contributing to the success of the festival, which drive footfall not only to the DECC but also to malls, hotels, and venues across Qatar.
The QTA official described QSF a successful event for providing visitors, particularly families, a wide range of entertainment offerings at DECC.
Similar to previous festivals, QSF has also given away big prizes such as Jaguar cars and QR800,000 worth of cash from the weekly raffle draws at participating malls.
The number of participating hotels in Qatar also doubled in this year’s celebration compared to last year’s figure. Special packages offered by 56 hotels and hotel apartments enticed many families to avail these promotions.
QTA noted that visitors at the City also enjoyed the amusement rides, an array of interactive and giant games, and wholesome shows on stage such as the The Smurfs and My Little Pony.
Popular child singer Rama Rabat also performed live at the venue in final weekend of the festival.
Besides the activities at the City, QSF’s Doha Comedy Festival enthralled nearly 4,000 attendees at the Qatar National Convention Centre. The event saw popular standup comedians in the region performing live on stage.
Social media influencers and celebrities also joined the festive season this year by participating in the mini football league at a sports entertainment event dubbed as Street Madness.
QTA said the fireworks display will take place at 9pm Wednesday on the Corniche, and can be best viewed from the area surrounding the Sheraton Doha Hotel. The Entertainment City will be open from 1pm to 11pm Wednesday also. After QSF, QTA is now preparing for the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival.