Visit Qatar Launches Qatar Calendar 2026/2027 Featuring More Than 560 Events Across the Country

Visit Qatar has launched Qatar Calendar 2026/2027, bringing together more than 560 events, festivals and championships taking place across the country under one unified national platform. The Calendar was unveiled at a strategic launch event attended by Their Excellencies, senior officials and representatives of key partner organisations from across the public and private sectors.

The Qatar Calendar provides citizens, residents and visitors the opportunity to discover upcoming events and plan their experiences in advance. It also enhances coordination across Qatar’s events ecosystem, while supporting the tourism, hospitality, retail and wider economic sectors.

The event was formally opened by H.E. Saad bin Ali Al-Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, who highlighted the Calendar’s strategic role in coordinating Qatar’s diverse events offering and strengthening the destination’s presence on the international tourism map.

H.E. Al-Kharji said: “Qatar Calendar serves as a unified national platform, bringing together cultural, entertainment and sporting events delivered by entities across the country. The platform plays a strategic role in amplifying and promoting events, expanding their reach among residents and visitors, while also serving as a trusted source of information for audiences and the media.”

He added: “This achievement reflects the strength of collaboration between government entities and private-sector partners in delivering an integrated and seamless tourism experience. Looking ahead, our focus remains on advancing high-quality tourism projects, fostering an environment that enables investment and sustainable growth, accelerating digital innovation and raising standards of service excellence. These priorities will continue to support the ambitions of Qatar National Vision 2030 and strengthen Qatar’s position as a leading global tourism destination.”

Qatar Calendar provides a single platform for citizens, residents and visitors to discover upcoming events and plan their experiences in advance. It also supports greater coordination across the country’s events ecosystem while contributing to activity across tourism, hospitality, retail and other sectors.

Following the opening remarks, Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar, delivered the keynote address, outlining the strategic importance of the Calendar.

He said: “Qatar’s strength as a leading tourism destination lies not only in the diversity of experiences it offers, but in its exceptional ability to bring together world-class events, strategic partnerships and seamless experiences. Qatar Calendar 2026/2027 builds on this journey, featuring more than 560 events spanning arts, sport, culture, family festivals and environmental experiences. This diversity complements our continued work to build an integrated tourism ecosystem that accompanies visitors and responds to their needs throughout every stage of their journey, from advance planning through to experiencing everything our destination has to offer.”

He added: “Our efforts to enhance this experience extend to our digital platforms. The Visit Qatar app has recorded significant growth, surpassing 230,000 users in 2026, compared with approximately 105,000 users in 2025. In line with evolving digital expectations, we have also launched a new Visit Qatar Widget feature, available in its first phase to Apple users, enabling audiences to view upcoming events quickly and conveniently without having to open the full application.

“As we continue implementing plans that support the sector’s growth and reinforce the strength of our infrastructure, we are also pleased to announce the launch of a unified digital ticketing platform in the fourth quarter of this year. The platform has been designed as a comprehensive and seamless gateway serving visitors, tourism operators, event organisers and all sector partners, helping streamline processes and further enhance the visitor experience in Qatar.”

Ahmed Al-Binali, Director of Festivals and Events at Visit Qatar, then highlighted the significant expansion of Qatar Calendar. He said: “This year, we have ensured that Qatar’s different regions play a central role in the Calendar’s events offering, showcasing the country’s geographical and cultural diversity. For the first time, the Qatar International Food Festival will move to Lusail City, while Al Shamal will celebrate its authentic maritime character. We are also introducing new events and locations, including Brouq in western Qatar and Doha Outdoors towards the end of the year.

“This unified platform presents an integrated reflection of the collective efforts of government entities, cultural organisations and private-sector institutions under a shared vision. It provides us with a clear pathway to work together to deliver an exceptional tourism and cultural experience worthy of Qatar’s name, while showcasing our rich culture and heritage.”

The programme also featured a promotional video showcasing some of the major sporting, cultural and entertainment events on the Calendar, presented by senior officials and representatives of partner organisations.

The video featured Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Muhannadi, Chief Executive Officer of Lusail Circuit, highlighting major motorsport events including Formula 1; Mr. Jassim Al-Jassim, Chief Executive Officer of the Local Organising Committee for Football Events in Qatar, presenting the FIFA U-17 World Cup; Mr. Mohammed Saad Al-Rumaihi, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Museums, highlighting Art Basel Qatar and other Qatar Museums events; Mr. Tarek Zainal, Secretary General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation, presenting leading tennis and padel championships; and Brigadier Dr. Fahad Al-Subaie, Deputy Head of the Police Academy, discussing the Doha International Music and Marching Festival (“Doha Tattoo”).

The programme also featured a high-level panel discussion titled “The Role of Sport in Enhancing the Country’s Image as a Dynamic Destination”, the session brought together H.E. Saad bin Ali Al-Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, and H.E. Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Thawadi, Executive Member of the Supreme Committee for Projects and Legacy.

The panel discussion was followed by the launch of Visit Qatar’s new winter campaign, ‘A World of Events in Qatar’, which invites audiences to discover the range of events and experiences taking place across the country throughout the season. From international sporting events and live concerts to desert adventures and outdoor activities, the campaign showcases Qatar’s winter offering to audiences across the GCC and highlights opportunities to visit, explore and experience the destination in the months ahead.

The launch event also featured an exhibition space showcasing stakeholder booths from Spacetoon; Samla; the Ministry of Interior, organiser of the Doha International Music and Marching Festival; MEG, organiser of IRONMAN; FeverUp; Benchmark; Qatar Foundation; the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; FIBA; Proactive Entertainment; the Local Organising Committee for Football Events in Qatar; and Lusail International Circuit. The interactive booths provided participants and attendees with an opportunity to engage directly with the organisations supporting Qatar’s national events calendar.

The launch concluded with the signing of a series of cooperation agreements and strategic partnerships between Visit Qatar and leading national institutions. The agreements included:

A partnership agreement with Qatar Rail, operator of Doha’s metro and national rail network, was signed on behalf of Visit Qatar by Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar and on behalf of Qatar Rail by Eng. Jassim Mohammed Al-Ansari, CEO of Qatar Rail.

A cooperation agreement with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the national body governing sport in Qatar, was signed on behalf of Visit Qatar by Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar and on behalf of the Supreme Committee by Mr. Jassim Abdulaziz Al-Jassim, CEO of the Local Organizing Committee for Football Events.  

Another memorandum of understanding was signed with Melt Live, signed on behalf of Visit Qatar by Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar and on behalf of Melt Live by Mr. Steve Harvey, Media Icon.

A partnership agreement with Aspire Zone Foundation, the national authority responsible for managing major sporting venues and events, was signed on behalf of Visit Qatar by Mr. Ali Al-Neama, Acting Executive Director of Shared Services and Procurement Director and on behalf of Aspire Zone Foundation by Mr. Ali Abdullah Al Mutawaa, Chief of Business Development and Enterprise Management Officer.

Together, these partnerships reflect the commitment of all parties to working collectively to ensure an integrated tourism and events offering, further strengthening Qatar’s appeal as a preferred destination, while supporting the country’s national economic objectives.

To further enhance how audiences discover, access and engage with events, Visit Qatar unveiled a series of new digital developments. These include a forthcoming unified digital ticketing platform, scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of this year, alongside a new Widget feature available through the Visit Qatar app. Qatar Calendar is available across all Visit Qatar digital platforms, enabling residents and visitors to keep up to date with the latest events, plan their trips and experiences in advance, and make the most of Qatar’s growing year-round tourism and entertainment offering.