Doha

Eid al-Fitr Festival 2015 concluded its activities on Tuesday after five days of celebrations that drew crowds of thousands to venues across Qatar, including malls, museums and sports arenas.
The Eid Festival is one of several organised by Qatar Tourism Authority and its partners to showcase Qatar’s offerings as a family destination and, in the long-term, to increase the number of visitors and tourists by building a sustainable and diverse calendar of events and festivals.
“Preliminary counts show a highly successful Festival, and we thank our partners in the malls for helping us enrich the indoor entertainment offering, and our partners in Souq Waqif for providing fantastic concerts; and in Katara for drawing large crowds to their spectacular fireworks display despite the heat,” said Rashed al-Qurese, Chief Promotions and Marketing Officer.
Malls including City Center, Dar Al Salam Mall, Lagoona Mall, Hayatt Plaza, Ezdan Mall and Al Khor Mall were packed with families eager to take advantage of the indoor festivities in the form of roaming entertainment, as well as stage performances exclusive to each of the malls such as The Jungle Book (Lagoona Mall), Pinocchio (Hayatt Plaza) and Circus Canada (Al Khor Mall).
“There was incredibly large demand, the stage performances alone drew nearly 4,000 people at each showing,” commented Joerg Harengerd, Director of City Centre, which hosted the Peter Pan show. “We received very positive feedback from families on the level of organisation and the celebratory atmosphere the activities generated.”
The Festival included the family-friendly musical “Elmo Makes Music,” from the famous Sesame Street show, which continues at Qatar National Convention Centre until July 22 with two showings daily (5pm and 8pm). Tickets can be purchased at Virgin Megastores or through q-tickets.com.
Also part of the Festival is the locally produced dramatic comedy entitled “Bishowish” (Take it Easy). Performances continue on Katara Cultural Village’s stage until July 27 with two showings a night (7pm and 9pm).
The festive season will continue with the 2015 Qatar Summer Festival, which will take place from August 1-31, and is expected to drive up visitor numbers with a range of new attractions, special hotel rates, cultural events and special offers on renowned brands.
“The Festivals are part of Qatar’s strategy to grow and diversify its tourism offerings in partnership with the private sector, especially during periods of historically low occupancy rates,” continued al- Qurese. “The high attendance rates at activities all throughout the Eid al-Fitr Festival set a very positive tone for the Qatar Summer Festival.”
A highlight of QSF will be Entertainment City, a one stop for all the family’s entertainment built into Doha Exhibition Centre. The hall will be filled with exciting rides, video games, and play areas, as well as a customized shopping area and food court. Daily stage shows will take place between 2.00 pm and 9.30pm to which entry will be free.