Toy Festival attracts 100,000 visitors

The second edition of Qatar Toy Festival attracted nearly 100,000 visitors since its opening on July 15 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, Qatar Tourism’s Communications head Buthaina al-Janahi said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the closing ceremony Wednesday, she explained: “This edition exceeded the number of visitors compared to the first edition. We are talking about an increase of 33%”.

The official noted that the month-long and Visit Qatar-organised festival hosted more than 50 renowned international brands, which featured toy-related games and activities that have captured the hearts of families and children since day one.

Popular favourites such as Barbie and Naruto took centre stage, alongside newcomers such as Mr Bean and Barney, which were increasingly appealing to many.

According to al-Janahi, some 26 stage performances by singers and artistes from the Arab world and beyond – including a series of musical presentation Wednesday – also enthralled crowds.

About the next edition of the festival in 2025, she expressed confidence that it will continue to attract a large number of visitors from Qatar and neighbouring GCC countries.

“As you can see, the crowd, people from different ages indicate and approve the fact that they are really waiting for such kind of festival on an annual basis.

“If we compare the first edition of the festival from the second, we did expand the capacity to 17,000sqm. We hosted more than 10 themed zones, we added three more from the previous edition. We are always studying the demand and we are always studying the interest of the audience in this case,” al-Janahi said.

Three new zones – Anime, Movie Land, and Retail – joined the returning favourites: Preschool, Girls, Boys, Family, Stage, F&B, and Theming Area.

The presence of performances of popular influencers, including Rasha Rizg, the Adnaan family, the Tarfaan family, Fawzi Muzi, Blippi, and Masaka Kidz, served as among the highlights of the festival, engaging the audience with their unique style and energy.

The last day of the festival attracted huge crowds, engaging in an array of indoor games and activities for all ages, including live shows, exclusive activations, and educational entertainment for children and adults.