S'hail - Katara International Falcons and Hunting Festival
S'hail - Katara International Falcons and Hunting Festival takes place Sep 8 - 12, 2026 in Doha, Qatar. The dress code is Modest, respectful smart-casual in keeping with the heritage setting; light breathable fabrics and a hat for serious September heat. Free to attend; budget up to 150 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
Qatar's flagship falconry and hunting exhibition, staged at Katara Cultural Village on the Doha waterfront, where prized falcons are auctioned, judged in beauty contests and displayed alongside hunting and camping gear, saluki dogs and a heritage zone. Part market, part cultural showcase, it is where the Gulf falconry world does business in public. Birds can change hands for six-figure sums.
- When
- Sep 8 - 12, 2026
- Where
- Doha, Qatar
- Dress code
- Modest, respectful smart-casual in keeping with the heritage setting; light breathable fabrics and a hat for serious September heat.
- Cost
- Free to attend; budget up to 150 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
- Weather
- 33 - 40C by day in early September, humid, essentially no rain
- When to book
- No booking needed for entry. If you want a Doha hotel near Katara, book a few weeks out - September is shoulder season and rates are reasonable.
- Getting there
- DOH (Hamad International), about 20 min to Katara Cultural Village
- Where to stay
- Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl (palatial, minutes from Katara), The St. Regis Doha (beachfront, walking distance to the Katara site), Hilton Doha The Pearl (comfortable value with good access)
- Official site
- https://s-hail.qa/
How to attend
General admission is free and no ticket is needed - just turn up at Katara. Take the Doha Metro Red Line to Katara station or a taxi, and note there is on-site parking. Auctions, contests and workshops run to a published daily schedule at s-hail.qa. Go on a weekday afternoon or evening for a calmer visit; the heat makes daytime outdoor sections punishing before sunset.
Admission to Katara for S'hail is free and there is no ticket of any kind - you simply turn up.
Insider tip
The falcon auctions are the real spectacle and they run to a published daily schedule - check s-hail.qa the morning you go, because the serious lots move fast and the room empties afterwards.
Get inside S'hail - Katara International Falcons and Hunting Festival
Booking matters here: no booking needed for entry. If you want a Doha hotel near Katara, book a few weeks out - September is shoulder season and rates are reasonable. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.