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Visit Qatar announced the return of the 25N51E Music Festival, which will take place on January 30, 2026 at Stadium 974, bringing one of Qatar’s most exciting electronic-dance music experiences to life with an extraordinary lineup of international artists across two dynamic stages.The 25E Main Stage will feature global headliners including Calvin Harris, Alesso and Afrojack, each renowned worldwide for their chart-topping hits and dynamic live performances. The 51N Stage will offer a curated experience for electronic music fans, showcasing NTO and Ben Bohmer, both celebrated for their innovative sounds and ability to craft captivating performances.Named after Qatar’s geographic co-ordinates, 25° North, 51° East, the festival stands as a cultural and musical landmark event, symbolising Qatar’s unique position on the map as a growing hub for world-class entertainment.The lineup will continue to expand with new artist announcements in the weeks ahead, promising an even more vibrant festival experience. 

The Ministry of Culture’s Music Affairs Centre is participating in Qatar National Day (QND) celebrations at Darb Al Saai in Umm Slal by holding a music museum that showcases all aspects of Qatari traditional music.The exhibition offers an overview of the history of music in Qatar, introducing the most important music instruments known in the country since earlier times, their evolution, the features of Qatari music, and Qatar’s musical tradition.Music Affairs Centre director Khalid al-Salem told the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the music museum at Darb Al Saai is exhibiting instruments used in traditional Qatari music in all its forms, including music played during sea voyages, orchestral music, as well as music from various world countries.He said that this year the music museum is presenting five daily stage performances: the sea voyage musical arts segment, the Sidra children’s choir segment (featuring 45 children performing national songs), the story and tale segment, a segment on Ziryab, his life, and his significant influence on Arabic music, and the oud trio segment.The music museum aims to encapsulate traditional Qatari music and provide the most extensive body of information about it, featuring the instrumentalists, composers, lyricists, and singers who helped create Qatari music and songs, in addition to the instruments used back in the days.It includes a special section featuring devices used to record songs from the beginning of the last century until today and their stages of development.  

British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have joined other bands and musicians in seeking to block their tracks being streamed in Israel as part of a cultural boycott campaign over the war in Gaza.The Bristol natives said they had joined "No Music for Genocide", a new collective of musicians modelled on the "Film Workers for Palestine" group.Massive Attack, who have nearly eight million monthly listeners on Spotify, wrote on Instagram on Thursday that they had asked their label, Universal, that "our music be removed from all... streaming services in the territory of Israel".A website for "No Music for Genocide" says it brings together more than 400 artists and labels that "have geo-blocked and removed their music" from Israel in protest at the country's Gaza campaign.On its website, it offers advice to artists on how to geo-block their songs to make them unavailable on streaming platforms in Israel.Massive Attack also announced that they had asked Universal to remove all of their songs from Spotify over investments in a European defence start-up by the CEO of the Swedish streaming platform.Daniel Ek, Spotify's co-founder and CEO, also runs a private equity company that led a consortium of investors which injected 600 million euros ($705 million) in European military artificial intelligence and drone maker Helsing in June.Ek is also chairman of Helsing, which says on its website that its mission is "to protect our democratic values and open societies".Massive Attack, who are long-time anti-war campaigners, criticised the links between Spotify and Helsing, saying that "the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians funds lethal, dystopian technologies".Spotify declined to comment when contacted by AFP, but a spokesperson told the Guardian newspaper that Spotify and Helsing were "totally separate companies" and Helsing was "not involved in Gaza"."Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only," said a statement from Helsing on its website.Like many other campaigners, Massive Attack cited the cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa as inspiration for their actions against Israel."Complicity with that state was considered unacceptable," the group said.After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many music industry companies withdrew or announced measures against Russia.Spotify closed its Moscow office and removed some sanctioned pro-war artists from the platform.Major record labels such as Sony, Universal and Warner all suspended their operations there and called for an end to the violence.Massive Attack took part in a major concert in London on Wednesday evening called "Together for Palestine" featuring top British artists including indie band Bastille, Brian Eno and DJ Jamie xx.With most Western governments resistant to major economic sanctions on Israel over the Gaza war, increasing numbers of musicians, actors and writers are speaking out in the hope of building public pressure for more action.

Shisospicy, the talented three-year-old filly, confirmed her class with a dominant victory in the Gr.2 AGS Music City Stakes over 1300m at Kentucky Downs on Sunday. The race, for three-year-old fillies only, drew a field of 12.Trained by Jose Francisco D’Angelo, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and racing in the colours of Morplay Racing LLC & Qatar Racing Ltd., the filly was already a Gr.3 winner after her wide-margin triumph in the Mamzelle Stakes over 1100m at Churchill Downs earlier this year. With this latest performance, she has now risen to become a Gr.2 winner.Breaking sharply from the stalls, Shisospicy went straight to the front, but soon had company as Gata Brazil (Into Mischief) pressed her on the outside. The pair set a strong pace, but as they reached the final bend, Gata Brazil began to weaken. Shisospicy, still travelling strongly, was left alone in front, with all her rivals under pressure behind her.Once into the home straight, she quickened again, moving further clear with every stride. She never looked in danger and crossed the line an impressive three lengths ahead. Cloe (Tiz The Law) finished second to give trainer D’Angelo a 1-2, while the British challenger Tabiti (Kingman) ran on for third.Bred by Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Shisospicy is out of Mischief Galore (Into Mischief), a triple winner, once on dirt over 1200m and twice on turf over 1000m at three. Mischief Galore is a daughter of Maren’s Melody, who placed on debut over 900m on turf.