The 4th edition of Qatar Balloon Festival features the record number of hot air balloons – 55 balloons from 17 countries. Katara Cultural Village proved to be an ideal venue with the breathtaking backdrop of Pearl skyline, plenty of parking areas and proximity to the metro. Pleasant December weather allowed the visitors to enjoy Night Glow Show with tethered hot air balloons eight out twelve days of the festival, while on the windy days the glow show was replaced with spectacular fire show. A display of colorful kites from Qatari, Kuwaiti, Omani and German teams added cheerful vibe to the festival.
The live entertainment included mascot parades, stilt walkers, magic shows and quizzes for children. The internationally prominent em-cee Regan Tetlow experienced in hosting aerial sport events, was joined by Qatar’s popular blogger Ahmed Pato knowns for his hilarious content delivery. Professional kite builder from Switzerland, Iqbal Hussein returned with his engaging kite building workshops for children as well as a display of “train” kites compiling 500 kites into one.
Daily sunrise flights launched from various locations in Doha amazed spectators with a unique view of 55 balloons floating in the air. One thousand balloon ride tickets subsidized for the festival were quickly sold out, while the regular flights of the five Doha-based balloons will continue until the end of March. Therefore, those who missed the festival, still have an opportunity to experience watching the sunrise over Doha skyline from bird-eye heights. Hot air balloon tickets can be purchased on www.asfary.com
To add another creative touch to the festival, the organizers of Qatar Balloon Festival collaborated with Iman Art Gallery to compile a vibrant exhibition of paintings by talented artist from Qatar and all over the Middle East. The festival hosted a “meet and greet” reception with popular artists from Qatar, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. The exhibition at the VIP Lounge of Qatar Balloon Festival showcases painting form Qatari artists Noof El Abdallah and Fatma Naimi, Egyptian artist Wael Negm, Masoud al Bloushi from Oman, Fadi Bou Daher and Faten Bargouth from Lebanon, Syrian artists Yasmin Al Jandali and Hala Aljafari, Dawoud from Algeria and a nice piece from Jean Zammar, one the old Lebanese painters.
Organizers of Qatar Balloon Festival Safe Flight Solutions and Asfary expressed immense gratitude to the festival’s partners and sponsors –strategic partner Qatar Tourism, venue partner Katara, retail partner Doha Festival City as well as Fusion Group, Celebration Palace, iMagic, Point Junction and Aster. The 4 th edition of Qatar Balloon Festival was attended by ambassadors, government officials, media and social medial influencers.
Festival website: https://www.qatarballoonfestival.com
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/qbfestival/