Gareth Southgate will have Qatar’s “party central” on the doorstep of England’s World Cup hotel and training base.
Thousands of fans are expected to attend gigs, DJ sets and boozy events at the MDLBEAST stage in Al Wakra with the 28 consecutive nights of festivals running until 2am.Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim is due to play on December 6 on a giant Glastonbury-style outdoor stage.
England boss Southgate and his players are based just down the road at the Souq Al-Wakra hotel which is 10 miles outside of the centre of Doha.
Their training base will be nearby at the Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium which is an ideal location as it is in easy reach for all of their group matches with Iran, United States and Wales.
But FA chiefs do admit the party venue is “relatively close” with up to 200,000 party goers expected to attend over the course of the tournament.
Booze will be served and tickets will cost from £40 as organisers try to stage events for football fans despite the usual restrictions and strict laws in the country.
It is believed they did look at other venues but settled and moved to this one to observe and respect the Middle East state’s culture and values.
Superstar DJs David Guetta, Fedde Le Grand, Benny Benassi and Fatboy Slim are among the headline acts to attract football fans even though it seems certain there will be rowdy nights. The blurb for the event urges fans to “come and have a music experience with live DJ and Artist performances at Al Wakra!”
The FA chose the luxury hotel because it has luxury facilities, is close to their training base but also has a sense of being in the Middle East because it is on the promenade and has local shops and cafes.
