The second edition of Visit Qatar’s Throwback Food Festival, organised by Visit Qatar, returns at Doha’s Old Port. This year it features new additions and exciting experiences.

The festival celebrates the country’s local heritage through traditional cuisine and cultural experiences, offering visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the past.

Hamad Al Khaja, Manager of Festivals & Events Delivery at Visit Qatar, said: “Throwback Food Festival is a unique experience that celebrates Qatar’s rich heritage through a variety of events that include traditional cuisine, cultural performances, and interactive competitions. This year, we have expanded the range of activities and enriched the experience, combining heritage markets, traditional games, folk tales, and artistic performances that reflect Qatar’s cultural identity. Through this event, we aim to provide an integrated experience that blends the authenticity of the past with the modernity of the present, making Throwback Food Festival one of the most prominent Ramadan events that enriches the tourism scene in Qatar.”

A Ramadan experience with local touches

Throwback Food Festival brings the old Qatari souks to life through the ‘Dakkan’ initative, which recreates the flavours of old Qatar, where visitors can sample traditional foods and sweets from the Tayyibin generation. The experience allows visitors to relive their childhood through the dishes they grew up with, in an atmosphere that is full of the flavours of the past.

The Folk Games Kiosk also hosts fun competitions that reflect the spirit of Qatari traditions, where visitors can participate in traditional games in a lively Ramadan atmosphere.

Quizzes and Tales from the Past

The Throwback Food Festival Theatre offers a range of artistic and cultural activities inspired by Qatar’s heritage. Visitors can enjoy interactive competitions such as ‘Kahoot’, which includes questions on popular foods, traditional crafts, and heritage events, with valuable prizes for the winners, as well as ‘Treasure Hunt’ competition, which invites participants to solve heritage puzzles and interact with different stalls to discover the secrets of the past.

Set in a lively atmosphere that embraces heritage, the Hakawati tells stories about the history of local cuisine and hospitality, with sound effects and traditional costumes reflecting the spirit of the past.

At the Puppet Theatre, children and families can enjoy a puppet show that tells stories about Qatari cuisine and the importance of hospitality and traditions, in an interactive and entertaining way.

The festival offers an interactive experience for culinary enthusiasts, with chefs competing in the ‘Local Flavour Challenge’ to prepare Qatari dishes with a creative twist, and the public participating in the ‘People’s Taste Challenge’ to choose the best dish. There will also be a ‘Secret Ingredient Challenge’ where chefs will have to prepare dishes using surprising ingredients, making the competition even more exciting.

Folkloric performances and folk songs

The festival will host live musical performances featuring traditional songs and rhymes sung at majlis and weddings, and during food preparation such as grinding wheat and making bread, using drums, oud and marwas to add authenticity to the visitor’s experience. 

This year’s Garangao will also be a night full of colour, joy, and memories.

To further enhance the Ramadan experience in Qatar, Visit Qatar has launched this year’s Ramadan campaign titled “Welcome Our Dear Neighbours” which aims to welcome visitors from the GCC during the holy month of Ramadan for an exceptional Ramadan experience, under the theme “Ramadan is better with you”, with Qatar Calendar’s events. Visitors can explore the Ramadan events calendar on the Visit Qatar website and app. For more details on activities and events that blend tradition with modernity, they can also follow @QatarCalendar on social media.