The 2026 Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar has officially kicked off, with the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (Grade 1) being the first of the major races sponsored by Visit Qatar.
An elite group of purebred international horses participated in the two-mile race, where they presented an exciting competition on the Goodwood Race Track. In an exciting and challenging finale, the horse “Scandinavia” was able to achieve victory under the leadership of jockey Ryan Moore, and under the supervision of trainer Aidan Obray, after a strong competition before the finish line. The cup was handed over by Mr. Rashid bin Nasser Al Kaabi, Vice President of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, in the presence of the guest of honor, Engineer Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi, CEO of Visit Qatar.
Beyond the racetrack, Visit Qatar brings the spirit of Qatari hospitality and culture to West Sussex through an interactive experience that aims to highlight Qatar’s hospitality, the distinctiveness of its culture, and the diversity of its tourism offerings to festival visitors from around the world.
The interactive pavilion of Visit Qatar welcomes visitors to the festival by highlighting the most important tourist attractions in the country and providing traditional hospitality with distinctive Qatari flavors prepared by Qatari Chef Salman Al Jaidah. The immersive visual elements spread throughout the space highlight the diversity of tourism offerings in the State of Qatar, through striking images and inspiring storytelling that encourages travel and captures the beauty of the destination.
The 2026 Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar continues throughout the week with more major races, including the Qatar International Stakes, the highly anticipated Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes, The Qatar Nassau Stakes, The King George Qatar Stakes and the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes on the final day.
Visit Qatar is proud to continue supporting global equestrian sports, while highlighting Qatar’s growing appeal as a leading tourism destination in the world.