Venue
Lusail, Qatar
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Qatar International Food Festival guide
Machboos and pop-ups in Lusail.
In short
Food lovers can visit the Qatar International Food Festival at the Lusail Stadium Precinct from 13 to 23 January 2027, its first year there. Entry is free and you pay at each stall for street food, restaurant pop-ups and Qatari home cooking, with chef demonstrations and live shows in the evenings. Seek out the local vendors' tables first.
Qatar's biggest food event, the Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF), moves to the Lusail Stadium Precinct north of central Doha for its next edition, from 13 to 23 January 2027. Entry is free. You pay stall by stall for street food, restaurant pop-ups and machboos from Qatari home cooks, and the evenings bring chef demonstrations and live shows.
Qatar Tourism backs the festival. The 2026 edition, held at the 974 Stadium Precinct, drew 490,493 visitors over ten days, the most yet.
The best reason to go is the local vendors' tables, where Qatari dishes taste closer to a family kitchen than to a hotel buffet.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Saturday, 23 January 2027
Where: Al Daayen, Qatar
Venue: Lusail Stadium Precinct
Held: Every year
Type of event: Food Festivals, Leisure Events, Community Events
Currency: Qatari riyal (QAR, QR)
Time zone: Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3
Language: Arabic
Map
Close to the venue
- Lusail Stadium Attraction · 0 m
- Doha Festival City Attraction · 6.3 km
- Katara Cultural Village Attraction · 7.6 km
- Katara Beach Attraction · 7.7 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
January 2027 dates and opening hours
Eleven days, from 13 to 23 January 2027. Daily hours have not been published yet. Past editions opened from late afternoon until well into the night, and the Qatari weekend, Friday and Saturday, brings the biggest crowds.
Food stalls, chef demonstrations and workshops
- Food stalls
- local and international vendors, with cooking from the Arab world and Asia alongside European and global street food.
- Chef demonstrations
- live sessions led by award-winning chefs.
- Hands-on workshops, some aimed at children.
- Entertainment
- live shows and family activities every day.
- Dinner in the Sky
- a dining table hoisted about 40 m up. It featured at recent editions and has to be booked separately.
Qatari dishes worth trying
Machboos is the one to start with: spiced rice cooked with chicken, lamb or fish. Harees, a slow-cooked porridge of wheat and meat, turns up at family gatherings. For something sweet, try luqaimat, little fried dough balls soaked in date syrup.
Wash it down with karak, the milky spiced tea sold on every corner of Doha. Many stalls offer small tasting portions, so you can graze through several kitchens in an evening. Vegetarians will do best among the international vendors.
Attendance and vendors at the 2026 edition
The 2026 festival was the 15th edition. Besides its record attendance, it gathered 200 local vendors, 46 from abroad and more than 50 chefs. Its new home in Lusail sits beside the stadium that staged the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Taking the metro to Lusail
Lusail Stadium lies about 20 km north of central Doha. Lusail QNB station on the Doha Metro is a short walk from the precinct, and the train saves you the evening traffic and the hunt for parking. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are easy to find. Allow about 35 minutes by road from Hamad International Airport.
Card payments, cool nights and nearby attractions
- Most stalls take cards.
- Weekday evenings mean shorter queues.
- January nights in Qatar turn cool. Bring a light jacket.
- Lusail Boulevard and Place Vendôme mall are a short ride away if you want a sit-down dinner afterwards.
- For more on eating out, see our list of the best restaurants in Qatar; families should also read our advice on Qatar with children.
Free entry and the best evenings to go
Entry costs nothing. Food is paid for item by item, and most stalls take cards. Weekday evenings are the time to go if you want shorter queues; weekends, which in Qatar mean Friday and Saturday, attract the biggest crowds.
Daily opening times had not been announced when this was written, though past editions opened from late afternoon into the night. Dinner in the Sky, a table hoisted about 40 m up at recent editions, is booked separately.
What the festival offers and who backs it
Backed by Qatar Tourism, QIFF is the largest food event in the country, mixing street food, restaurant pop-ups, demonstrations by award-winning chefs and hands-on workshops for adults and children. The 2026 edition drew 490,493 visitors.
Head to the local vendors for home-style Qatari dishes: machboos, spiced rice cooked with fish, lamb or chicken; harees, a porridge of wheat and meat cooked slowly and often served at family gatherings; and luqaimat, fried dough balls with date syrup. Karak, sweet spiced tea with milk, is the usual drink. Small tasting portions make it easy to try several kitchens, and international vendors offer plenty of vegetarian choices.
Getting there
Flying in
Hamad International Airport is roughly 35 minutes from Lusail by road. From Bangladesh, see Dhaka to Doha flights.
Doha Metro
Lusail Stadium has its own metro stop, the easiest way to avoid evening traffic and parking.
Taxi and apps
Taxis and ride-hailing apps work well for the trip back after the evening shows.
Where to stay during the festival
Lusail puts you within walking distance or a short metro ride of the festival. Central Doha has the widest choice of hotels and is a straightforward metro ride north, which also makes it easy to come back for a second evening.
Doha
Mandarin Oriental, Doha5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$307.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Lusail
Raffles Doha5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$521.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Doha
Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$69.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
10 Rooms available
Book Now
Doha
Alwadi Hotel Doha - MGallery5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$125.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
6 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
January is Qatar's coolest month. On the 1992–2021 normals from the Qatar Meteorological Department for Doha, January averages highs of 22.6 °C and lows of 14.8 °C, with about 11 mm of rain.
Evenings outdoors feel cool, especially in the breeze, so dress for a cool night out.
Worth packing
- A light jacket for cool evenings
- A card for stall payments
- Comfortable shoes for the precinct
- A reusable water bottle
Car hire in Al Daayen
Airport transfer to Qatar International Food Festival
Met at arrivals at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and driven door to door to Lusail Stadium Precinct.
- Hamad International Airport (DOH) → Lusail Stadium Precinct
- 27 km · 30 min
Restaurants and food in Qatar
Places to eat in Qatar before or after the celebrations.
Argan
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel, Al Jasra Street, Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:MoroccanNorth African
- Dine-in
Bayt Sharq
Al Doha Gardens, Al Sharq Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Private room
Jiwan
4th Floor, National Museum of Qatar, Museum Park Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
IDAM by Alain Ducasse
5th Floor, Museum of Islamic Art, Corniche Promenade, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:Contemporary FrenchMediterranean
- Dine-in
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Timing & weather
Daily hours for 2027 had not been published. QIFF usually opens in the afternoon and runs late into the evening, with longer hours at weekends. Check Visit Qatar before you go.
Weekday afternoons are quietest. Thursday and Friday evenings and weekends are the busiest. Arriving early lets you try popular stalls before the queues build.
QIFF started in 2010 and is backed by Qatar Tourism. It has moved between venues over the years, including Hotel Park and the 974 Stadium Precinct, where the 15th edition in January 2026 drew 490,493 visitors, its best attendance so far.
Prices & payment
Entry is free, but you pay per dish. Street food dishes are usually affordable, while restaurant pop-ups cost more. A family can eat well for a moderate budget by sharing dishes.
Most vendors take cards and contactless payments. Some smaller stalls may prefer cash. Carry some riyals to be safe.
Families & accessibility
Yes, it's a family event. There are usually play areas, kids' cooking activities and shows. Bring a pushchair for younger children.
The Lusail Stadium Precinct has paved paths. Accessible toilets and parking are usually provided. Contact the organisers if you need assistance.
General
Yes, many stalls offer vegetarian dishes, including Indian, Levantine and Asian food. Vegan options are fewer but available. Ask vendors about ingredients if you have allergies.
Look for machboos, spiced rice with meat or fish, and harees, slow-cooked wheat and meat. For dessert try luqaimat, fried dough balls with date syrup. Karak tea is the local favourite drink.
Yes, celebrity and local chefs usually give live demonstrations. Some are free to watch, while masterclasses may need booking. The programme is announced before the festival.
Lusail Boulevard and Place Vendôme mall are nearby. The Corniche-style waterfront at Lusail Marina is good for a walk after eating. The Marmi falcon festival runs in January too.
Stay & facilities
Halal is the norm in Qatar, and pork and alcohol are not part of the festival offer. If you need certification for a particular stall, ask the vendor directly.