8 Most Popular World Cup 2022 Fan Zones In Qatar and Middle East Countries
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| Top World Cup 2022 Fan Zones In Qatar And Around The World. Photo AP |
With excitement building across the world and more so in the Middle East, as the region hosts football’s biggest tournament for the first time, fan zones across the Gulf are putting on its finishing touches.
For many, fan zones will be the chance for football enthusiasts without a ticket to the games to soak up all the sporting action over the month-long tournament.
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Check out Top World Cup 2022 Fan Zones In Qatar
1. FIFA Fan Festival
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| Photo Daily Mail |
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In Qatar itself, the FIFA Fan Festival at this year’s World Cup tournament will be held at Al Bidda Park.
According to the Supreme Committee, the FIFA Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park spans 500,000 square metres, and will see more than one million visitors over the course of the tournament.
All of the Qatar 2022 matches will be screened here on giant screens, but on rest days, there will also be live music from international and regional artists, plus family-friendly entertainment.
Inside the fan zone, you’ll find a food court with both local cuisine and international delicacies.
Love playing football as much as you love watching it? There will be physical and digital gaming stations for fans of all ages, too.
You’ll also be able to buy official FIFA and FIFA World Cup merchandise here.
Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) secretary general and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 chairman H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi said, “There will be something for everyone at the Qatar 2022 FIFA Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park.
“With the stunning West Bay skyline as a backdrop, fans will enjoy live matches, a host of musical and cultural performances, and a vast range of food and beverage options.”
| Timings: 19-20 November 2022 from 4 pm to 2 am 21-29 November 2022 from 11 am to 2 am 30 November - 18 December 2022 from 4 pm to 2 am Location: Al Bidda Park Tickets [UPDATED AS OF 30 OCTOBER 2022]: Hayya Card required upon entry. Capacity: 40,000 Re-entry: Visitors can exit and re-enter the FIFA Fan Festival any time during operational hours Minimum age: There is no minimum age to attend the FIFA Fan Festival. However, children (anyone aged under 18) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Accessibility: Guests with disabilities can benefit from numerous arrangements that will be made on-site to ensure a comfortable visit. |
| The best way to reach the free-to-enter entertainment hub will be by using the Doha Metro. There are three nearby stations – West Bay QIC, Al Bidda and The White Palace |
| During this year’s tournament, there will be six satellite FIFA Fan Festivals taking place across the globe. You can find the locations as follows: → BudX FIFA Fan Festival London – Outernet → Corona FIFA Fan Festival Mexico City – Plaza de la República → Arena Brahma FIFA Fan Festival Rio de Janeiro – Copacabana → Arena Brahma FIFA Fan Festival São Paulo – São Paulo Anhangabaú → BudX FIFA Fan Festival Seoul – S Factory → BudX FIFA Fan Festival Dubai – Dubai Harbour |
2. Aspire Zone at Khalifa International Stadium
Set to host some games during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Khalifa Stadium will provide a unique outdoor experience for World Cup fans. With Qatar’s summer in full swing, this location boasts outdoor air conditioning and can seat more than 1,000 people in the fan zone area.
The stadium has become synonymous with football, as it has hosted local and international matches. Take advantage of the giant LED screens, many food and beverage stalls and a children’s play zone for the little ones. Locals and expats alike are looking forward to watching the games at this venue.
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3. Alwadi Arena
Not satisfied with just screening the games at the hotel’s restaurants and bars, the Alwadi Hotel is transforming its ballroom into a fan zone arena for those wondering where to watch the World Cup in Doha. There, you’ll be able to watch match screenings, play foosball, and enjoy food and beverages.
Open daily noon-2am. Licensed. Alwadi Hotel Doha – MGallery
4. Fanzone by INCA
Mix’s rooftop terrace is also being transformed into the INCA fanzone, with a live DJ and Samba dancers. From there, you’ll be able to watch all the World Cup action while digging into finger foods and house beverages.
Open: Fri Nov 18-Fri Dec 2 noon-2am; Sat Dec 3-Sun Dec 18 5pm-2am.
5. Four Seasons Fan Arena
The Four Seasons Doha will also be creating a fan arena for the tournament. You can enjoy unlimited food during a match plus three house beverages for QR750, or unlimited food for the full day with four house beverages for QR1,300.
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6. Hayya Fan Zone on the Lusail South Promenade
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| Photo Qatar 2022 |
A fan zone will also be set up on the Lusail Marina Promenade, complete with an ice skating rink.
Open between Saturday November 20 and Sunday December 18, the Hayya Fan Zone will have capacity for up to 3,500 fans at a time.
The family-friendly venue with have live bands performing between matches as well as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty ice ballet shows.
You’ll also be able to enjoy food and beverages as you watch the games.
| Tickets: Regular admissions ticket (QR 50) and ticketed activations, as per Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Capacity: 3,500 How to get there: Legtaifiya (Red line), Marina Tram Station (Orange Line) |
 Fans in Qatar: How To Watch World Cup 2022 in Qatar Time & Date - Full Schedule |
7. Holiday Inn Doha
The Holiday Inn Doha will be turning its Al Masa Ballroom into a football screening hub. The entry fee includes food and beverage credit, and the price varies depending on the tournament stage.
Prices: QR150 (entry fee with food and beverage credit, high table, up to round of 16), QR200 (entry fee with food and beverage credit, couch seating, up to round of 16), QR200 (entry fee with food and beverage credit, high table, quarter finals to final), QR300 (entry fee with food and beverage credit, couch seating, quarter finals to final). Open daily 1pm-midnight. Licensed. Najma (4031 3333).
Will there be alcohol at the fan zones at Qatar 2022?Alcohol will be available to purchase at the FIFA Fan Festival in Al Bidda Park between 6.30pm and 1am daily, FIFA has said. The price for the hops available has not yet been confirmed. Fans will also be able to purchase alcohol inside World Cup stadium compounds, but not at concourse concession stands within the stadium bowl. Spectators will be able to purchase alcohol three hours before kick-off, and up to an hour after the final whistle. Non-alcoholic hops will be available to buy throughout matches. |
8. Qetai-Fan Beach Fest Powered by Unit-Y
Another option for those looking to take advantage of the lovely weather, Qetai-Fan Beach Fest will be screening matches on Qetaifan Island North. Up to 30,000 people will be able to visit at a time, and there will be more than 50 food outlets for you to check out. Outside of match times, there will be performances from major names including French Montana, CeeLo Green, Alex Sensation and Oxlade.
| Capacity: 30,000 Tickets: Admission ticket required. Ticket prices are to be confirmed. |
Where to watch World Cup 2022 in other countries
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| Photo Economic Times |
Fan zones in Saudi Arabia
Football fans in Saudi Arabia can catch all the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 action at Riyadh Season 2022.
Riyadh Season 2022 will have 15 zones with one entire zone dedicated to the football’s biggest tournament.
The Fan Festival zone will have three mega screens to stream the World Cup, featuring live concerts, shows, and esports tournaments. The Fan Festival zone at Mrsool Park will accommodate 20,000 fans for each game and will include exhibitions on late football star Diego Maradona and another exhibition on the Newcastle Club
The Groves zone will also include entertainment shows, dining, and a dedicated space for World Cup fans.
It will be one of a plethora of football fan zones being stages across the GCC during the month-long football tournament – the first time the World Cup has been staged in the Middle East.
Fan zones in Dubai
One of the emirate’s largest fan zones, McGettigan’s - a traditional favorite for sports fans - and DGT Events are also taking over Media City Amphitheater during the month-long football tournament to host Fanzone, a space dedicated to screening the matches.
Organizers say the UAE’s largest TV screen will be installed at the venue, allowing up to 5,000 fans to watch the action from locations across the park. As well as showing the games, the venue will host live music and family-friendly activities. The $40 (AED 150) entry fee is redeemable against food and drink.
Dubai has been selected to host one of the six flagship International FIFA Fan Festivals, alongside London, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Seoul.
BudX FIFA Fan Festival, a custom-created arena in Dubai Harbor, is equipped to host up to 10,000 people, and will screen all games on gigantic 330-square-meter screens equipped with 4D audio.
Football fever will also be up front and center at the Football Park at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The Football Park will open on the podium level of Gate Avenue and will host Michelin-starred restaurants, butler service and a concierge for fans wanting to experience the world’s greatest football tournament in style.
Meanwhile, Dubai’s Expo 2020 site will also transform into a ‘Fan City’ with giant screens and entertainment zones to host fans of FIFA World Cup.
Two zones will be available, one at Jubilee Park and a second “more deluxe experience” at Al Wasl, information from the organizers said.
The Jubilee Park setup will feature table-top games, agility courses, foot volley courts, penalty kick activations, face-painting, and DJs’ spinning decks during half-time, according to information provided by the organizers.
Starting December 3, the Al Wasl venue will offer a “VIP guest experience” under the iconic dome of the Expo City, information shared with the media said.
Four jumbo screens will broadcast the matches live while the in-game graphics will be projected onto the Al Wasl done.
Precision Football — a venue dedicated to the sport — will be taken over by Press Play, an converted into a fan zone.
The facility will air all 63 games on a 250-square-meter screen.
Also in Dubai, the Habtoor Grand Resort has announced a ‘World of Sports Fan Zone’; a tented fan zone with big screens, food stalls, and the capacity to accommodate 1,500 football fans
Fan zones in Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture and Tourism has announced an all-new football fan zone UAE capital.
Located on Yas Links, Yas Island Abu Dhabi, residents can cheer on their teams at the dedicated venue which is split into four action-packed zones – complete with seating options, food, beverage and retail outlets.
With all games shown live, the fan zone will include specialist commentary, crowd and community competitions, entertainment and even a weekly FIFA 23 community gaming tournament.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island is set to open three fan zones, ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which kicks off on November 20. The three zones will be located at Abu Dhabi’s Zsa Zsa lounge at Four Seasons Hotel, Glo Lounge at Rosewood and Loca.
| Sign Up For Free World Cup Trips! Up to 1,600 fans of the teams that qualified for this year’s Fifa World Cup are being recruited for an all expenses-paid trip to Qatar to sing in the opening ceremony and stay for at least two weeks. Fans from each of the 32 teams are needed for a five-minute, fan-themed section of the ceremony before Qatar plays Ecuador in the opening match on November 20. They will perform a chant or song specific to each country, chosen by the organisers, according to documents seen by AP. “We will share with you the chant/song selected from your country to ensure you are familiar with it,” organisers told the fans. The programme, to promote positive social media content about the tournament and the host nation, excludes “persons with obvious political affiliation” and aims to recruit 30 to 50 supporters from each team who were able to show “their status as a purist fan”, the documents state. The fans are being offered economy-class flights and use of apartments worth thousands of dollars to stay until at least December 4, or for the entire tournament if they choose, plus a daily allowance of 250 Qatari riyals (NZ$116). |
Watching World Cup on Big Screen: No Longer A Trend?
Footage of fans watching matches on a big screen or at fan parks have been a feature of recent World Cups. FIFA has a few official fan parks around the world, and this year is holding official FIFA fan festivals in Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, Dubai and London as well as in Qatar. Other big screens will be set up around the world, but they could be quieter this year than at previous tournaments.
More than half of the UK population watched England’s loss to Italy in the final of the UEFA 2020 European Championships, but a consumer survey by adtech company LoopMe found that only 29% of respondents in the UK intend to watch the World Cup.
The survey of more than 4,429 British consumers also found that 84% of those planning to watch the tournament planned to do so from home. Just 8% said they would watch games at a pub or similar venue.
The cold weather might put some people off watching games at an outdoor screen this year. Usually in Seoul, for example, thousands of people watch South Korea’s games on outdoor screens around the city, but with temperatures there during the late-night kickoffs likely dropping to around freezing, watching outside is probably a less attractive option than usual.
The cost-of-living crisis also only appears to be a minor factor behind British consumers staying home to watch the World Cup, with just 14% saying they were watching at home due to costs. Rather 58% of those watching at home said they planned to do so simply because it was more comfortable.
The World Cup is less popular among consumers in the United States and in Singapore, with just 10% of U.S. respondents and 26% in Singapore saying they plan to watch the tournament.
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