Cultural performances and venues tend to be thin on the ground in this increasingly bustling modern city. The most interesting for tourists are usually those arranged ad hoc at hotels and by tourist companies. Live music can often be found in the city's sprinkling of five-star hotels. Hotel concierges can be the best point of contact for more information.

The 490-seat Qatar National Theatre (tel: 483 1333), though, was opened in 1982 and also stages some cultural performances. The Doha Players (tel: 447 4911; www.dohaplayers.com) are a theatre group who sometimes stage performances in the city.

Doha also boasts a choice of multi-screen cinemas, with many English language films screened in the original language. Cinemas, often located in shopping malls, include Mall Cinema (tel: 467 8666), Cinema Land (tel: 488 1674) and Gulf and Doha Cinema (tel: 467 1811). The website for all is www.qatarcinemas.com