Qatar has launched a summer-long cultural programme across Canada featuring fashion, public art, literature, film and sport-related events as the country prepares to deepen ties ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The initiative marks the start of the Qatar Canada and Mexico 2026 Year of Culture and will bring exhibitions, discussions and performances to cities including Montreal and Toronto.
Supported by the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Ottawa, the programme is being delivered with Qatari institutions including Qatar Museums, Doha Debates, M7 and Qatar National Library, alongside Canadian partners such as Fashion Art Toronto and Montreal’s MURAL Festival. Organisers said the season aims to strengthen cultural exchange and people-to-people connections between Qatar and Canada.
One of the headline events will take place during the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal from 22-24 May. Formula One driver Pierre Gasly will wear specially commissioned helmet designs created by artists linked to the Years of Culture initiative as part of an ongoing partnership with the BWT Alpine F1 Team.
The first design was created by Qatari illustrator Ghada Al Suwaidi and will debut during the Montreal Grand Prix. Organisers said the collaboration uses one of the world’s most visible sporting stages to highlight contemporary Qatari creativity.
Fashion will also play a major role in the programme. Doha’s creative hub M7 will lead a delegation of emerging designers to Fashion Art Toronto, where brands including Authentic Roz, LIN and Denim will present collections during the festival’s opening runway showcase on 29 May.
The initiative is designed to connect designers with Canadian buyers, consultants, manufacturers and fashion industry leaders. Organisers said the project reflects Qatar’s growing investment in its creative industries and its ambition to position Doha as an international centre for design and innovation.
Montreal’s MURAL Festival will also feature a collaboration with Qatar Museums’ street art initiative JEDARIART from 4-14 June. Qatari calligraphy and calligraffiti artist Fatima Al-Sharshani will create new work for the festival, bringing Arabic visual culture into one of Canada’s largest public art events.
Toronto will host a Doha Debates Town Hall event at Queen’s Quay Terminal on 8 July focused on the future of football fandom in a globalised sport industry. Students, academics and media voices will discuss identity, loyalty and commercialisation in modern football culture during the event, which coincides with the FIFA World Cup.
Later in the summer, Qatar National Library’s Qatar Reads initiative will launch a literary exchange programme involving schools and families in both countries. Canadian students will receive English and French editions of Kalila wa Dimna, alongside storytelling workshops and an exhibition featuring illustrations by Qatari artist Wadha Al Athba.
“This initiative is rooted in the belief that cultural exchange creates lasting connections between people and communities,” said His Excellency Mr. Tariq Ali Faraj Al-Ansari, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Canada.
“Canada’s rich diversity, vibrant creative landscape, and global outlook make it a natural partner for a cultural season that highlights the power of art, sport, and storytelling in bringing people together and strengthening mutual understanding,” he added.
The Canadian programme forms part of Qatar’s broader Years of Culture initiative, established in 2012 to promote long-term international partnerships through cultural collaboration, education, heritage, sport and the arts.
