Solar sounds at sunset by Haroon Mirza
Also this week: Canal-side markets, Lucky Ali live and Eid festivities at The Pearl
Welcome to AL-MONITOR Doha.
The heat is coming, and with it the quieter, more indoor version of Doha that runs from June through September. But before that happens, the city is going out on a high note. A solar-powered installation at the Fire Station activates at sunset every evening. Torba Market has swapped its Education City fields for a canal-side setting at The Pearl. Lucky Ali is performing, Mina Nader is bringing his stand-up to the stage and Eid al-Adha is turning Gewan Island into a family destination for the long weekend. Go outside while you still can.
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Thanks for reading,
Reve
P.S. Have feedback or tips on Doha's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.
1. Leading the week: ‘Everything Was, Is and Always Will Be’
Haroon Mirza, Miraj Al Shams, 2026, installed at the Fire Station Tower, Doha. (Photo courtesy of Fire Station)
There is an installation at the top of the Fire Station’s Tower that activates every day at sunset, just before the Maghrib Adhan. It is called Miraj Al Shams, and it works by converting solar energy captured on the roof into choreographed light and sound.
The timing is not incidental. Haroon Mirza, the British Pakistani artist behind the work, has spent his career exploring where modern circuitry intersects with older ways of understanding the world, and this exhibition is the fullest expression of that inquiry yet.
“Everything Was, Is and Always Will Be” is Mirza’s first institutional solo presentation in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, spanning Gallery 3 and the Tower at the Fire Station. At its core is the idea that electricity is not merely a utility but a sculptural material — one that can be shaped into rhythm, light and something closer to the atmosphere.
In Gallery 3, “Musica Universalis” (Dyson Sphere 03) draws power from an artificial light source through a photovoltaic structure, using that energy to generate an evolving sonic ecosystem. The reference point is physicist Freeman Dyson’s hypothetical megasphere designed to harvest a star’s energy, here scaled down and redirected inward.
A motif running through all three works is the recently discovered Einstein Tile, a single shape that can tessellate infinitely without ever repeating, embedded within an octagram that appears across cultures as a symbol of the divine. It is the kind of detail that makes the exhibition worth experiencing slowly.
Date: until May 31
Location: Fire Station, Gallery 3 and the Tower
More details here.
2. Word on the street: Torba Market on the Bridge
The canals and pastel facades of Qanat Quartier, The Pearl, Doha. (Photo courtesy of The Pearl Qatar)
Torba Market has left its Education City home for the summer and set up in considerably more scenic surroundings. For four evenings in May, the market is operating on the bridge at Qanat Quartier, The Pearl — Doha’s own take on a Venetian canal neighborhood, complete with pastel buildings, waterways and a boardwalk that has earned a reputation as one of the prettiest corners of the city. It is a smaller, more curated version of the original market, with around 28 vendors covering food, coffee, artisan goods, arts and crafts, and wellness.
Three of the four dates fall during the Eid al-Adha holiday, making it one of the easier outings to fit into what is already shaping up to be a busy long weekend. Entry is free and no booking is required.
For those who want to do something hands-on, Noware is running a ceramic and pottery workshop on-site. Arrive around sunset for the best light over the canal, and come hungry because the food options alone are worth the trip.
Date: May 23 and May 28-30
Location: Qanat Quartier, The Pearl Island
More details here.
3. Doha diary
The Indian singer Lucky Ali performs live on stage. (Photo courtesy of Visit Qatar)
- Lucky Ali live in Doha
One of India’s most beloved singers, Lucky Ali, is coming to Doha. Known for soulful hits such as “O Sanam,” “Safarnama” and “Ek Pal Ka Jeena,” he will take the stage at Al Mayassa Theater, a venue intimate enough to feel like a proper concert rather than a stadium event.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start, giving audiences time to settle in before the show begins.
Date: May 29
Location: Qatar National Convention Center
More information here.
- Wagef! Mina Nader live in Doha
Mina Nader brings his stand-up to Abdulaziz Alnasser Theater on May 23, and if you have seen any of his work online, you already know what to expect: sharp, relatable comedy that makes everyday situations feel absurd in the best possible way. It is a good option for a Friday night out that requires little planning beyond booking a ticket.
Date: May 23
Location: Abdul Aziz Nasser Theater
More information here.
- Eid al-Adha celebrations at The Pearl and Gewan Island
The Pearl and Gewan Island are marking Eid al-Adha with a family-focused program featuring kids’ activities ranging from arts and crafts to face painting, as well as live stage shows with magic and circus performances, and roaming entertainment throughout.
It is the kind of setup where children will want to stay longer than planned, which is usually a good sign.
Date: May 26-30
Location: Crystal Walk Gewan
More information here.
4. Book of the week
“The Gulf’s Climate Reckoning” by Justin Dargin, a researcher at the University of Oxford, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2025. The book addresses a question the region cannot avoid for much longer: Can economies built entirely around fossil fuels reinvent themselves before the window closes?
With Gulf temperatures already breaking records and scientists projecting heat waves beyond human tolerance by 2070, the stakes are as physical as they are political. Drawing on political economy, postcolonial history and geopolitical analysis, Dargin examines how Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are navigating decarbonization as a live strategic challenge rather than a distant policy goal.
It does not offer easy answers, which is exactly what makes it worth reading.
5. View from Doha
People visit the 35th edition of the Doha International Book Fair at the Qatari capital's exhibition and convention center, on May 15, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images)
6. By the numbers
- Doha features more than 12 air-conditioned outdoor destinations, including 21 High Street Katara, West Walk and Crystal Walk on Gewan Island, known as Qatar’s longest climatized outdoor pedestrian walkway.
- Umm Al Seneem Park features a 1.143-kilometer air-conditioned track, an achievement recognized by the Guinness World Records.
