Qatar has laid out an ambitious programme of more than 560 events stretching to the end of 2027, from Formula 1 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup to concerts and food festivals. The announcement, made in Doha, is part of a push to build on a record year for tourism and to position the Gulf state as a year-round destination for both residents and international visitors.
According to Visit Qatar, the country welcomed 5.1 million visitors in 2024, and a further 2.9 million arrived in the first half of this year. Jassim Al Mahmoud, Director of Communications at Visit Qatar, said the strong numbers had encouraged the authority to offer a richer and more varied calendar. “The biggest number of visitors arrived to Qatar last year, so this is something that drives us to have such a rich calendar in order to enhance their experience, to have more options, more variety, to bring more visitors to Qatar,” he said.
A packed sports schedule
Sport dominates the early part of the calendar. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 runs from 19 November to 13 December, while MotoGP returns to the Lusail International Circuit from 6 to 8 November. The Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final follows from 10 to 12 December, with the Doha Marathon on 15 January 2027.
Tennis fans will have the Qatar TotalEnergies Open from 8 to 15 February, and later in the year Doha hosts the FIBA Basketball World Cup from 27 August to 12 September 2027. Formula 1 is also set to return to Lusail in 2027, with the Qatar Grand Prix scheduled from 3 to 5 December.
Beyond sport, the calendar includes a wide range of cultural and entertainment events. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is among the international artists highlighted, alongside performances by Angham and Saint Levant. A Harry Potter film music concert is also on the programme. Other events include the Qatar International Food Festival, Art Basel and the Al Ruwais Festival.
The idea, according to Visit Qatar, is to give visitors a mix of experiences throughout the year rather than focusing solely on major sporting events. Shopping, food, culture and entertainment are all woven into the schedule.
Steve Harvey returns with more events
US TV host and comedian Steve Harvey, who has already hosted several events in Qatar, was present at the launch. He said his previous experiences in the country had brought him back. “When it comes to beauty and architecture and landscape and the people, it’s just a great place to come,” Harvey said. “I travel the world. And so this is a great place to come and do business and share the culture.”
Harvey said he had signed a multi-year deal to bring more entertainment events to Qatar, including the return of FuelFest, a new comedy series and Family Feud. He also outlined plans to eventually stage what he called a Family Feud World Cup, bringing families from different countries to Qatar to compete in the game show.
Tourism as an economic pillar
The calendar is part of Qatar’s longer-term tourism strategy. Doha has set a target of increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP to 12% by 2030, according to material released alongside the calendar launch. Al Mahmoud said the range of events was intended to give visitors more options during their stays, spanning sport, culture, shopping and food. “We believe that we have the offering,” he said. “We have lots of options, a lot of variety.”
He said the launch was also intended to signal continuity in Qatar’s events programme. “By revealing the calendar, we are saying to the world that we are ready, we are open, we have a rich calendar,” Al Mahmoud said. “Qatar remains fully operational.”
The announcement comes as the Gulf region seeks to diversify its economies beyond hydrocarbons, and as global travel rebounds. For European visitors, Qatar’s calendar offers a mix of familiar international events and local cultural experiences, with direct flights from many European capitals. The country’s investment in infrastructure, including the Lusail circuit and new museums, is part of a broader effort to compete with regional hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
As the calendar unfolds, it will be interesting to see how Qatar balances its ambitions with the practicalities of hosting so many events in a relatively small country. But for now, the message from Doha is clear: the doors are open, and the schedule is full.
