Qatar Tourism, through Visit Qatar, has unveiled the Qatar Calendar 2026-2027, a comprehensive national platform featuring more than 560 events across the country. The calendar aims to unify and promote Qatar’s diverse cultural, entertainment, and sporting activities, enhancing coordination among nearly 780 key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. The platform is designed to provide residents, citizens, and visitors with a centralized resource to discover events and plan their experiences throughout the year.
The launch event, held in Doha and attended by senior officials and partner representatives, highlighted the calendar’s strategic role in supporting Qatar’s position as a global tourism destination. HE Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism and chairman of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, emphasized that the calendar serves as an integrated system connecting Qatar with international audiences, while also boosting the local tourism ecosystem. Al Kharji underscored the importance of tourism as a key pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030, aiming to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP to 12 percent by 2030. He noted that major events drive broad economic impact across hospitality, retail, and transportation sectors, and support job creation and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi, chief executive officer of Visit Qatar, reflected on the calendar’s ability to showcase Qatar’s range of experiences, including arts, sports, family festivals, and environmental activities. He highlighted the growing digital engagement, citing that the Visit Qatar mobile application has seen its user base swell to over 230,000 in 2026, more than doubling from the previous year. New technological initiatives include a Visit Qatar Widget for easy event browsing on Apple devices and the upcoming launch of a unified digital ticketing platform set to streamline access for visitors, event organisers, and tourism operators.
Ahmed Al Binali, director of Festivals and Events at Visit Qatar, pointed to the expanded inclusion of Qatar’s regions in the calendar, with new event locations such as Lusail City hosting the Qatar International Food Festival for the first time, and Al Shamal showcasing its maritime heritage. Other new areas include Brouq in western Qatar and the Doha Outdoors event towards the end of the year, further demonstrating the calendar’s role in promoting the country’s geographical and cultural diversity.
The launch featured a promotional video highlighting marquee events such as Formula 1 races at Lusail Circuit, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Art Basel Qatar, tennis and padel championships, and the Doha International Music and Marching Festival. A panel discussion titled “The Role of Sport in Enhancing the Country’s Image as a Dynamic Destination” included participation from Al Kharji and HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Thawadi, executive member of the Supreme Committee for Projects and Legacy, reflecting on the significance of sports in Qatar’s tourism strategy.
The Qatar Calendar 2026-2027 thus represents a concerted effort to integrate event promotion and deliver a seamless, high-quality tourism experience that aligns with Qatar’s broader economic and developmental goals.