SOME 300 performers from various countries will be presenting shows during the Doha Summer Festival. The 22-day entertainment and shopping festival takes place from July 15 to August 5 at the Doha Exhibition Centre and various malls.

The Exhibition Centre, which houses the offices of festival organisers Qatar Tourism and Exhibition Authority (QTEA), will also host an international trade fair, organised jointly by QTEA and Maraya Public Relations.

Some 345 pavilions will be selling home appliances, garments, cosmetics, accessories and other goods.

There will also be a Qatari Heritage Village showcasing the country’s history and culture. The village, to be put up by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage (NCCAH), will display arts and artefacts throughout the festival.

Some 20 artists will be available at various malls to draw portraits of visitors free of charge, said Salman Hammadi, vice chairman of the festival organising committee.

The attractions include a puppet show at the Hyatt Plaza; Chinese dragon and acrobat show at The Mall; Smurfs cartoon show at City Center; children’s circus at Villagio; magic show at Landmark; and acrobats at City Center.

There will be traditional story-telling sessions at Hyatt Plaza and education workshops at The Mall. Centrepoint will also be staging various attractions.

Besides, there will be caricature and painting shows at all the venues, drum beatings by girls at City Center and Villagio, and mime artistes and live statues at the Landmark, Hyatt Plaza and The Mall.

Shows will also be staged at the City Center ice rink.

At the Doha Exhibition Centre, jugglers, stilt walkers and clown magicians will entertain visitors. Besides, there will be a children’s show, education workshops, Gulf folklore plays and stories, games, and competitions for children.

In addition, there will be daily performances of Arabic plays.

The summer carnival, being held after a gap of two years, also features a shopping festival with raffles and discounts. Raffle prizes will total millions of riyals, Hammadi said.

The festival will also offer learning opportunities for children, he said. The entertainment will include art sections, circus and dramas.

Shows and activities at all venues are open to the public free of charge. The programmes run daily from 6pm to 10pm.



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