FIFA 2022 World Cup Fan Zone Explainer
If you’re in Qatar this November/December but didn’t score any tickets to the FIFA World Cup matches, never fear - there are plenty of opportunities to catch some of the action at Qatar’s 2022 tournament Fan Festivals and Fan Zones. Even if you were lucky enough to secure a seat, there are sixty-four head-to-heads across the competition, so heading to a Fan Fest or Zone will allow you to see so many more and keep the carnival vibes of the live action going just a little longer!
The Fan Festival
Public viewing events surrounding football matches, especially World Cup games, is not a new thing. However, FIFA-organised Fan Festivals are relatively new. Before the 2006 World Cup in Germany, public viewing outside of stadiums was small-scale and not a particularly welcome occurrence. Nonetheless, after the 2002 World Cup in Korea witnessed millions of fans on the streets of Seoul excitedly watching matches on giant screens organised specifically for the event, FIFA decided to get in on the action. The idea of organising mass viewing areas for football supporters without game tickets was kicked off at the 2006 tournament. It proved a resounding success - a legitimate opportunity for all to revel in the sport, the camaraderie, and the electrifying atmosphere generated by a World Cup event. So successful were the first festivals that FIFA trademarked the term Fan Fest!
Since 2006, Fan Festivals have become an integral part of a World Cup tournament, growing to incorporate football broadcasts onto giant screens, live music and entertainment, food and drink and a host of other activities. For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the FIFA Fan Fest has been reimagined to incorporate a greater level of family-friendly activities, a wider variety of cultural activities, more football-related activities (physical and digital), as well as the usual live music and entertainment events, and cuisine offerings. FIFA has also sanctioned several global Fan Fests in Brazil, the UAE, England, Mexico and South Korea so that fans who couldn’t make it to Qatar also have the opportunity to be part of the tournament community.
So, where can you find the 2022 FIFA Fan Fest and Qatar’s other Fan Festivals and Zones?
Al Bidda Park Fan Fest
Image: FIFA.com
The main FIFA Fan Festival for 2022 is being held at the enormous Al Bidda Park on Doha’s city centre waterfront Corniche. Aside from the immense views across West Bay and the ocean, this Fan Fest, spread across 500,000 sqm of the park, has a lot to offer.
The festival is divided into three distinct zones - the Live Zone, the Food Zone and the Play Zone.
The Live Zone has a host of giant screens to broadcast the football action across the tournament. But, it will also double as the festival's music and entertainment area, outside of the live football action, staging local and internationally renowned artists, including Calvin Harris, Paul Van Dyke, Sean Paul and Julian Marley.
The Food Zone, obviously, offers a myriad of food and beverage options to keep guests fed and watered throughout the competition. From Grab-n-Go options serving burgers, pizzas, shawarma and sandwiches to stalls and kiosks offering cuisines from around the world. If you are feeling peckish, you can opt for meals from Africa, Asia, Europe, America and local Middle Eastern fare. From Machboos and Manakeesh, Jollof Rice, Rogan Josh and Quesadillas to Hot Dogs and Fried Chicken, there's plenty of choice for everyone…and all for under $15 a pop. Alcohol (Budweiser) is served at the festival but during the evening hours only.
The Play Zone is packed with activities and entertainment for adults and children, keeping everyone amused between matches. You can watch live football games featuring football legends or a 5-a-side competition with supporters from each of the 32 qualifying nations; get your adrenaline pumping on high-wire ziplines; or get active at games areas hosting physical and digital football-related activities, which include interactive goal walls and Panna courts. There is even a FIFA museum displaying the original Jules Rimet World Cup, jerseys from all of the 2022 qualifying nations and World Cup football memorabilia since 1930. There is plenty of play equipment for the younger ones, plus a mini parkour course, bouncy castles and other hands-on games to burn off some energy.
Nitty-Gritty
The Fan Fest is for Hayya Card holders only and is free to enter on presentation of the card or the associated app.
The festival runs from November 20th to December 18th, with opening hours varying depending on the date. From November 20th, the festival is open from 4 pm - 2 am, from November 21st - 29th from 11 am - 2 am, and from November 30th - December 18th from 4 pm - 2 am.
Visitors can easily get to and from Al Bidda via the Doha Metro, with three Metro stations available in the local area: West Bay Qatar Energy (Red Line), Al Bidda (Red and Green Lines) and Al Corniche (Red Line - exit only). Dedicated free shuttle buses are available to transport fans between the FIFA Fan Festival and the tournament stadiums. The Corniche Shuttle Bus (C806) runs along the Corniche from West Bay to the Souq, stopping at the Fan Festival.
Inside the festival, guests can find plenty of toilets, smoking areas, prayer rooms, an information desk, a medical clinic and a kid's registration area.
Qetaifan Fan Beach Festival
Image: Qatar2022.qa
The Qetaifan Fan Beach Festival, powered by Unit-Y, is the tournament's month-long party on the beach and is open to anyone who wants to join the fun. Located on Qatar's newest man-made island, Qetaifan Island North, the 30,000-capacity festival is located on the beachfront with spectacular views of the ocean and the cityscape in the distance.
Aside from broadcasting every football game across the 2022 World Cup tournament, the festival offers a host of other diversions. Live music and various other performances keep the party atmosphere jumping from November to December as artists such as French Montana, Ceelo Green, Alex Sensation, Ryan Castro, and Oxlade grace the Qetaifan stage. At the 4,000-capacity beach club, water and beach activities, including a floating aqua park, offer entertainment and the chance to splash around in the cool, clear water of the Persian Gulf. At the same time, over fifty food and drink stops keep everyone energised and hydrated. There are even pop-up stores across the site for a little retail therapy.
Anyone who drops into the beach festival can also bask in the glow of doing good while having a blast. The proceeds from the festival are helping to support the Playing for Change Foundation, an organisation building and assisting music and arts schools in areas of need.
The Fundamentals
The Qetaifan Fan Beach Fest is open to all, with general admission tickets costing $65 / QAR 230 per day. Premium and VIP tickets are available at $500 / QAR 1820 and $1500 / QAR 5461 per day. The superior tickets allow guests to enter private lounges with exceptional views of the screens and stages, parking and access to buffet-style food and drinks. Tickets are available via the q-tickets.com website.
The festival runs from November 20th to December 18th, opening hours from 10 am to 4 am daily.
Visitors can easily get to and from the festival on three free shuttle bus routes. One from Hamad International Airport. One via a mall run, starting at Education City Metro Station and stopping at the Villaggio Mall, the Mall of Qatar, Doha Festival City Mall, Qatar University City Metro Station, and the Place Vendome Mall. And one from the city centre, starting at Msheireb Metro Station and stopping at West Bay, Katara and The Pearl.
Guests can find plenty of toilets, smoking areas, prayer rooms, information, and medical and lost-child assistance inside the festival grounds.
Hayya Fan Zone
Image: DohaNews
The Hayya Fan Zone, located at Lusail Marina Promenade, is another fan zone open to all fans and spectators. The 3,500-capacity venue has a distinctly family-friendly feel, with ice skating and ice ballet shows running alongside match broadcasts.
Three mega-screens show each and every match across the tournament, with a VIP Pavilion offering patio and lounge seating with great views of the action. During the football downtime, plenty of other entertainment keeps the masses busy. Aside from the skating and daily ice ballet shows, guests at the Hayya Fan Zone can watch local bands and international artists perform, listen to top DJs spinning some tracks, or join in the games and activities in the Multimedia Pavilion. The pavilion includes interactive football-themed digital and VR-based pursuits. There are also roaming magicians and performers, as well as face painters, henna artists and caricaturists keeping the crowds entertained. Food and beverage stalls offer a plethora of sustenance and refreshments too.
The Essentials
The Hayya Fan Zone is open to all, with general admission tickets costing $14 / QAR 50 per day. VIP tickets are available at $385 / QAR 1400 per day. The premium tickets allow guests to enter the VIP Pavilion with exceptional views of the screens and stages, access to all-day catering, and entrance to the skating rink and an ice ballet show. Ice ballet shows (Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake) cost an additional $80 / QAR 300 for those without VIP access. Tickets are available via the q-tickets.com website.
The festival runs from November 20th to December 18th, with daily opening hours from noon to 1 am. During the tournament, the Sleeping Beauty ice ballet runs from December 1st - 10th, Swan Lake runs from November 20th - 30th and December 11th - 14th.
Visitors can easily get to and from the fan zone via the Doha Metro. The Red Line drops guests at Legtaifiya Metro Station, from where the Orange Line on the Lusail Tram runs to Lusail's Marina Tram Station.
Guests can find plenty of toilets, smoking areas, prayer rooms, information, and medical and lost-child assistance inside the fan zone grounds.
Free Fan Zones
Al Khor Fan Zone
Qatar's World Cup organising committee have also set up several free fan zones for supporters and workers who helped build the 2022 tournament infrastructure; one is the Al Khor Fan Zone.
Located inside the Al Khor Sports Complex, not too far from Al Khor's Al Bayt Stadium, the free fan zone incorporates giant screens for broadcasting the live action, from the beginning of the tournament to the final whistle, as well as stages for a host of Asian and international artists. If you want to join in the fun for free and mingle with the locals, this venue keeps the crowds entertained with live music and performances and offers a host of food and drink outlets.
Note
Al Khor Fan Zone is free to enter and open from November 20th to December 18th. Opening hours vary depending on the date; from November 18th - 20th, December 7th - 8th, 11th -12th and 15th to 18th, the fan zone is open from 3 pm - 10 pm; from November 21st - 28th from 10 am - 1 am; and from November 29th to December 6th, December 9th - 10th and 13th - 14th from 3 pm - 1 am.
Industrial Area Fan Zone
The Industrial Area Fan Zone is another free fan zone to the south of the city centre and is open to all supporters and workers who live in the surrounding area. The fan zone is located in the Industrial Area's Asian Town Cricket Stadium and, other than broadcasting all World Cup matches, offers fans the opportunity to come together to celebrate the tournament and, in turn, be entertained by a host of live acts and performances. A variety of food and drink outlets are also available at the stadium.
Note
Industrial Area Fan Zone is free to enter and open from November 20th to December 18th. Opening hours vary depending on the date; from November 18th - 20th, December 7th - 8th, 11th -12th and 15th to 18th, the fan zone is open from 3 pm - 10 pm; from November 21st - 28th from 10 am - 1 am; and from November 29th to December 6th, December 9th - 10th and 13th - 14th from 3 pm - 1 am.
900 Park
Image: Qatar Living
900 Park is Qatar's World Cup foodie hub during the tournament. Next to the InterContinental Doha Beach and Spa in Al Qasser, this fan zone is the perfect place to sit back and relax (on a variety of comfy bean bags), with something tasty while watching the live football action.
Though football is the main reason for heading to 900 Park during the World Cup, the venue offers plenty of alternative diversions while you're there.
Aside from the three giant screens, 900 Park hosts a variety of high-quality dining options, specialising in global street food. You can find European cuisine at the Belgian Cafe, Sushi at the aptly named Buba Sushi, Fried Chicken at Chickito, burgers at Exit 55, Turkish fare at Fiko Doha, and French delights at Paul, to name but a few options.
The park also offers plenty of things to do and roaming street entertainment to keep everyone amused. A Tech Tent hosts numerous football-related interactive, digital and VR games. A games area offers a myriad of interactive recreational activities, such as goal target practice walls, penalty shootout games, football skittles and table football. And a 360-degree football-themed photo booth provides plenty of opportunity to secure perfect Instagram shots!
And finally, a plethora of DJs keep the party going, night after night, at the park until the early hours.
The Details
900 Park costs under $30 (QAR 100) to enter for the day and is open from noon to midnight every day from November 20th - December 18th. Tickets are available via the q-tickets.com website.
The nearest Metro station to 900 Park is the Al Qassar Metro Station, a few minutes' walk away.
Main image: Al Jazeera