The opening on Thursday greeted festival-goers with a music-accompanied fireworks display, providing families and children a unique attraction at one of Qatar’s most popular destinations.
“This is a first-of-its-kind show and a lot of people were very happy to see it. We expect more visitors here next weekend,” Souq Al Wakrah manager Khalid al-Suwaidi told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
Besides Doha and Wakrah residents, he noted that many of the visitors come from various areas across Qatar such as Al Khor and Al Rayyan, among other places, spending the weekend with their families and friends at the festival.
Al-Suwaidi hopes to match, or even exceed the 70,000 visitors who thronged the venue in the previous edition of the event, which also organised a variety of cultural performances highlighting Qatar’s rich cultural heritage.
Stilt walkers roam around Souq Al Wakrah to welcome visitors. PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam
Organisers bring new games to the event.
He said spectators will have the chance to witness two more fireworks, scheduled on January 25 and February 1, making the 2018 edition bigger than last year’s.
Some of the highlights include a one-of-its-kind circus and acrobatic shows led by performers from Russia, Ukraine, France and the UK, according to al-Suwaidi.
“We brought some new rides, attractions and games for the children to enjoy such as the European circus (at 5.20pm and 8pm),” he said.
The festival also features pony rides, carnival at the seaside, robot-controlled games, train and aquatic rides, and trampoline, among other activities.
A number of food stalls treat visitors with various snacks and sweets while an array of restaurants along the beach area offer an array of traditional and international dishes.
The souq’s beach, which is open to the public, remained to be a favourite spot for families and children, especially those who swim and play football, volleyball, and other recreational games.
Many residents and visitors also find the festival a good opportunity to buy locally and hand-made products such as perfumes, abayas, turbans, dresses and other clothings and accessories.
“The good thing is we see an increasing number of foreign visitors in the previous months, I think because of the free transit visa and other visa (facilitation) measures,” said an employee of an abaya shop. “We expect more tourists to visit this place particularly this winter.”
