The four-day event will involve more than 80 professional kite flyers from countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Japan, Indonesia, Russia, Australia, India, Italy, China, and Colombia.

A number of renowned international figures are set to take part in this year’s event including Italian artist and kite-marker Claudio Capelli, Japanese artist, Makoto OE, Spencer Watson from the USA, Jakob Brenkman from Germany, Olivier Gilet from France and Jon Bloom from the United Kingdom.

An exclusive addition to the 2019 festival: skies over Aspire Park to be lit up with spectacular lit kites portraying contemporary designs from the East and the West

The Aspire International Kite Festival returns to Aspire Park for the third consecutive year building on a strong track record of domestic and international success. Huge crowds are expected, following the 40,000 visitors who attended last year’s event.

In a bid to bring people together from across the local community, the Organising Committee has spared no effort to create a wonderfully diverse programme this year. The 2019 edition follows the tradition of previous event of bringing the very best in kite flying and kite making to Qatar.

One of the key features of this year’s event – marking the Middle East first – is the introduction of lit kite displays, due to take place daily from sunrise until 11pm.

Competitions set to capture the public’s imagination

This year’s event will also feature two significant competitions. The first is a photography contest that celebrates the best picture captured during the festival. The second will celebrate the best poster designed by children in workshops organised on the side lines of the event. The Kite Festival Organising Committee will publish full details of the competitions and relevant schedules on social media.

2019 edition of the festival 

This year’s edition includes a major focus on the cultural identity of Qatar, combining a number of historic and modern elements. Kite designs entered in to the 2019 festival will reflect aspects of Qatar’s traditional dress, Dhow boats and other elements of Qatari culture including designs inspired by the desert and falcons. In addition, participants will also fly a series of kites in formation to celebrate the country hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The 2019 edition of the Kite Festival will also feature a number of schools including more than 13 government and private schools competing in various competitions. Hundreds of children are also expected to take part in activities including workshops and site visits.