'Bollywood Music Festival on Nov 4 to be a packed event'

The Bollywood Music Festival on November 4 at Lusail Stadium as part of the Darb Lusail Festival hosted by Qatar Tourism is expected to be a packed event, an official said Wednesday."The big music festival, also part of the journey to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, featuring artists from the South Asian communities, is also an occasion for the people to get familiar with the stadium while it gives us an opportunity to test some operational aspects," explained Hassan Rabea al-Kuwari, marketing relations director, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.At a media roundtable to announce the details of the programme, al-Kuwari was joined by Berthold Trenkel, chief operating officer, Qatar Tourism, who highlighted various aspects of the festival.The Darb Lusail Festival, hosted by Qatar Tourism, will run from November 3 to 5 to mark the opening of the Lusail Boulevard, the country’s latest landmark and pedestrian-friendly avenue. The family-friendly festival will be a celebration of Lusail city.Noted Indian playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan, Qawwali and Hindustani classical exponent Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and the composer duo of Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, popularly referred to as ‘Salim-Sulaiman’ will be performing at Bollywood Music Festival.“We have made all the arrangements for the event and safety and security are priorities for us. The programme will start at 7pm with a pre-concert entertainment by Perfect Amalgamation from 5.30pm. All the entry tickets will be digital and only ticket holders with Hayya Card will be allowed entry. All the Hayya cards will be activated from November 1,” explained al-Kuwari.“There are four categories of tickets and they can be bought online. On November 4, Doha Metro will be starting from 1pm instead of its regular timing of 2pm on Fridays. It is about five minutes’ walk from the Metro Station to the stadium. The gates will open from 4pm and we urge everyone to start early from home,” he continued.Al-Kuwari also said that this is a unique way of celebrating the South Asian expat communities in the country. “People from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka have played a massive role in the accelerated socio-economic development of Qatar over the last two decades across varied roles and in diverse industries. With the 2022 FIFA World Cup just weeks away, Bollywood Music Festival is the host country’s unique way of celebrating the momentous occasion with the communities who have been an integral part of Qatar’s global success story,” he remarked. Al-Kuwari also noted that Indian expatriate communities in Qatar, UAE and other GCC countries have contributed in a big way by purchasing a huge number of the FIFA World Cup tickets. Bollywood Music Festival, therefore, warrants a celebration of their role in making the tournament a success. Trenkel added: “On the first day of the Darb Lusail Festival, we will have two prominent artists, one from Kuwait and the other from Lebanon. It will be followed by the Bollywood night on Friday, and on Saturday we will have an artist from Egypt. We are also showcasing a drone show and we are partnering with a ccompany called ‘Fivecurrents’ for the event.”

Doha Metro will increase the frequency of the trains and have additional coaches to carry more people to various destinations around the country during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022."The frequency of Doha Metro will be 165 seconds during the World Cup," stated Hassan Rabea al-Kuwari, marketing relations director, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.