Tickets go on sale for Bollywood Music Festival

Tickets for the Bollywood Music Festival, organised by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) in partnership with One FM and Ayna Tickets, are now on sale, it has been announced.The event “promises to bring rhythm to this year’s Summer in Qatar” as residents and visitors will enjoy all the colours of a Bollywood offering at Lusail Arena on June 21. The Music Festival is part of QNTC’s ongoing efforts to create diverse entertainment options for the whole family, making Qatar a preferred tourism destination for families, it has said in a statement. It also comes in celebration of the Qatar-India 2019 Year of Culture.Mashal Shahbik, a QNTC official, said: “We’re delighted to welcome top Bollywood performers to Qatar for this Music Festival. India is a priority market for us, and with visa-free entry for Indian nationals, it is easier than ever to get a taste of home in Qatar. We welcome everyone to spend Summer in Qatar with us, and enjoy not only Bollywood, but also a vast range of excursions, family fun, edutainment, and performances for all ages.”The Bollywood Music Festival will bring six big acts, including a surprise guest, and 50 musicians to Lusail for “a night to remember”. It will include performances by Guru Randhawa - the ‘Badshah of Bhangra’, Bombay Vikings, Ragini Tandan and ‘Indian Idol’ finalist-turned-Bollywood songstress Bhoomi Trivedi, among others. Bollywood’s award-winning Rhythm Arrangers and Masters of Percussion, and Hanif & Aslam of Coke Studio fame, will add their own beat to the festivities. Tickets range in price from QR75-1,500 and can be purchased at https://www.q-tickets.com/ or http://www.aynatickets.com, or offline at outlets such as Baba Chapatea in Wakrah and Matar Qadeem, Doha Rocks Café, 7st By Mumbai Spices, Desi Dhaba and Filli Café. Naveed Abdulla, CEO of  One FM Qatar, said: “We at 89.6 One FM are always looking forward to create something new and different for Qatar. We want to project Qatar as a prominent international event destination. The Bollywood Music Festival will be an annual affair and hence we chose to launch it during World Music Day. We hope to make it bigger every year and will be promoting the event globally.” Artistes for the festival have been chosen to represent a cross-section of genres and tastes, with festival director Jassim Mohamed stating: “The lineup has been finalised with a lot of brainstorming; we wanted to touch all genres of Bollywood and have a good mix of artistes where the young, old and even the international crowd can relate to.”The Qatar-India Year of Culture allows people from both countries to learn about each other’s culture, building stronger ties through deeper understanding. India’s other great passion – cricket – will be represented in the Doha Workers’ Cricket Cup, taking place from Thursday to Saturday evenings (8pm to midnight) at Umm Said Stadium from June 13 to July 31.  Capping off Summer in Qatar, Doha will host the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) on August 15 and 16, with a galaxy of stars in attendance.