Players and fans during opening ceremony of Match for Hope Fan Festival at Place Vendôme Mall yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: The Match for Hope Fan Festival opened yesterday at Place Vendôme Mall, offering fans an interactive and family-friendly experience in support of the “Match for Hope” initiative.
Organised by Q-Life, the Fan Festival will run for eight consecutive days from January 24 to 31, located at Gate 1 – Eiffel, second floor of Place Vendôme.
The festival features a wide range of activities designed to engage visitors of all ages while promoting the humanitarian mission of Match for Hope.
Third edition of the Match for Hope charity football match, part of the festival, is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 30, at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha.
The festival includes mini-games, competitions, and FIFA tournaments organized by Store 974, as well as basketball activities in collaboration with the Organizing Committee of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.
Visitors can also enjoy live meet-and-greet sessions with selected Match for Hope influencers, explore exclusive brand activations, purchase official Match for Hope merchandise, and relax at a variety of cafés participating in the event.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Qassim Al-Jaida, Project Director of the Match for Hope initiative, said this edition marks the third edition of Match for Hope, noting the strong and positive response from the public.
He expressed enthusiasm for the event, which brings together the world’s top content creators and football legends from across the globe.
He emphasised that all donations will go to the initiative’s partner, Education Above All, to support children who are out of school worldwide.
Al-Jaida highlighted that the Fan Festival at Place Vendôme offers children and families the chance to meet content creators, participate in basketball activities, enjoy interactive games with Store 974, and win various prizes, including match tickets and other rewards from participating international brands from countries such as the United Kingdom and Kuwait. He added that the goal is to create a joyful atmosphere and lasting memories for visitors.
He explained that the primary objective of the festival is to bring together the people of Qatar in support of this humanitarian initiative, helping children around the world gain access to education, while also allowing fans to see content creators and football legends who will participate in the Match for Hope event.
This year’s Match for Hope will feature a distinguished lineup of football legends, including Thierry Henry, Eden Hazard, Franck Ribéry, Diego Costa, Gerard Piqué, and Yasser Al-Qahtani, alongside prominent content creators such as Mr Beast, Marlon, and Mohammed Adnan (Abu Fella), among many others.
Visitors will also have daily opportunities to take photos with content creators from 4pm to 8pm, as different influencers participate each day and interact with children and fans.
The festival runs daily from 2pm to 10pm, while during weekends on Saturday it operates from 11am to 11pm. On Friday, visiting hours are from 1pm to 10pm.
All activities are free of charge, and the public is invited to attend and take part in this unique community-driven experience.
