Opening Days – Gathering of Remarkable People
6–10 May 2026
An adaptive performance unfolds through music, archival sound, and film, accompanied by a culinary programme reinterpreting harees and jareesh. Moments of silence and sound shape a collective, immersive experience.
Featured artists include musicians Gobi Drab (flutes, vocals, Austria), Tomás Gouband (percussion, France/Algeria), Mazen Kerbaj (trumpet, electronics, Lebanon), Aya Metwaly (vocals, electronics, Egypt), Sarah Ourahman (cello, vocals, electronics, UK/Algeria), Naghib Shehbenzadeh (percussion, Iran), Vivian Wang (vocals, electronics, Singapore) along with culinary offerings by chefs and authors Noor Murad (Bahrain) and Majed Ali Almatrooshi (United Arab Emirates), chef Noof Al Marri of the Desert Rose Café at the National Museum of Qatar (Qatar), and mixologists Anna Patrowicz (Poland/UK)) and Vesta Kontrimaviciene (Lithuania) of akub London.
The 60s Collection I
13 & 14 June 2026
Electronic and experimental musicians activate rare recordings from the Paul Matar archive. Matar was a key figure in the Lebanese cultural scene who travelled extensively across the Middle East and the Gulf in the 1960s and 70s as a sound recordist for cinema, documenting traditional musicians and their practices. The programme is presented alongside a culinary offering rooted in land, grain, and mountain traditions.
Frame Drums
11 & 12 July 2026
Qatari percussion traditions lead a cross-cultural exchange, paired with a zero-waste food programme reflecting communal and inherited foodways.
The 60s Collection II
18 & 19 September 2026
Hip hop and electronic interpretations of the Paul Matar archive are presented alongside a culinary programme centred on reinvention and reinterpretation of tradition.
Waters’ Witness Qatar
10 & 11 October 2026
Listening sessions anchored in field recordings from Qatar’s coastline are paired with street food reflecting Doha’s diverse, multicultural food landscape. This programme continues Tarek Atoui’s ongoing Waters’ Witness project.
Poetry, Melody, and Text
31 October & 1 November 2026
Poetry and voice-led musical practices are paired with an exploration of coffee culture as a cornerstone of Arab hospitality.
Closing Week | Gathering of Remarkable People II
20, 21 & 22 November 2026
A concluding, long-form ensemble performance brings together musicians and chefs from across the programme, marking a moment of culmination and future continuation in Qatar.
