The 11th edition of Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) opened on Friday, 26 November, set to run for three weeks before closing on the eve of Qatar National Day on 18 December.
The festival will be staged at Al Bidda Park against the backdrop of the Doha skyline, where over 140 vendors will serve culinary masterpieces. Vendors from Doha, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other international markets are participating in the festival.
QIFF is Qatar’s longest-running food and beverage festival, combining culinary arts with a range of activations, including a live cooking theatre by globally renowned chefs. The festivities also include plenty of family entertainment for residents and visitors of all ages.
According to Qatar Tourism Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, QIFF is a celebration of Qatar’s multiculturalism, contributing to the diversity of tourism experiences in the country. He said that over the past eleven years, the festival has been instrumental in enhancing the country’s thriving dining scene.
Before opening local outlets, many international chefs have tested the waters at QIFF, as have local entrepreneurs. QIFF is illustrative of our sector, and its importance – introducing people to new products and experiences and facilitating business.
The festival will additionally host food trucks along a stretch of Corniche Road for eight days between 26 November and 3 December. There will also be fireworks displays on weekends (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) throughout the course of the festival.
QIFF Cooking Theatre
QIFF will stage a daily cooking theatre with at least two demonstrations, events and competitions every day. The cooking theatre will feature celebrity chefs from the region including Dani García, Aisha Al Tamimi, Shams Al-Qassabi, William Dissen and Saif Rahman, Hervé Courtot, Hassan Al Ibrahim, Grenal Godinho, Aleksandre Ugrekhelidze, Arturo Mendez, Roberto Reatini, Aaj Fernando, Sergio Galaz, Hari Wahyudin and Santiago Guerrero.
Timings: 4 pm to 10:30 pm with 2+ demonstrations, events and/or competitions per day
Digital Recipe Wall
A digital recipe wall will be set up so that attendees can scan a QR code to access a web page app, allowing them to share their favourite recipes.
Entertainment
QIFF is providing family entertainment throughout the festival. The entertainment features a mix of live music and DJ, roaming entertainment, mini-golf, trampolines, a hot air balloon experience, carnival games, and much more. Local and regional artists will also perform at the festival including Music Vending Machine, 11 Strings, Harget Kart, Pablo Discobar, Hadis, Soul Brother, REJAM, AFCENT Band, Charlie Porter Quintet, and AFCENT Band.
Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table gives diners the opportunity to sit and eat with the chef who cooked and prepared their meal. The following restaurants have confirmed their participation in the Chef’s Table:
- Hakkasan with Chef Ho Yiek Chung
- Scalini with Chef Roberto Apa
- Riyasat with Chef Grenal Godinho
- Isaan with Chef Somporn
For further details and bookings, please contact the restaurants directly.
Opening Hours
- Weekdays – 3 pm to 11 pm
- Weekends – 3 pm to 1 am
While general admission to QIFF is free, 10 VIP areas around the festival can be reserved for QAR350 per two-hour booking. Each VIP area can accommodate eight people. Qatar Tourism follows the hygiene and safety guidelines set by the Ministry of Public Health to ensure visitors a safe experience.
Arriving at Al Bidda Park
The organisers of QIFF recommend using the metro to access the festival. Attendees can choose from three commute options to access QIFF at Al Bidda Park.
Visitors can commute on Doha Metro to arrive at Al Bidda Station which is connected by both the Green and Red lines. To facilitate the flow of visitors, the Metro will run until 3 am during the festival. There is also limited parking space available for cars at Al Bidda’s Car Park 5.
Zones
The festival will be split across five themed zones at Al Bidda Park and one at the Corniche.
Al Bidda Park: Oasis, Pier, Urban, Market, and Garden. Al Bidda Park will have a Qatari Corner to give visitors a unique, traditional Qatari experience.
Corniche: QIFF Avenue
Qatar Tourism supports its partners from the private sector in developing a diverse and rich annual events calendar to energise the hospitality and retail sectors, drive domestic tourism and attract regional visitors all year round.
For updates and more information about the festival, visit qatarfoodfestival.com.
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