MUSCAT: With a few more hours left for the grand finale of the World Cup, fans in the Sultanate of Oman are eager to catch a glimpse of the momentum as the first whistle for the final show blows in Doha. The most sought-after venue that offers unparalleled feel of the action, the Football Fan Festival (FFF) at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (OCEC) has reported an overwhelming response from the fans.
There have been reports that the site that sold the tickets to the fan festival, www.footballfanfestival.com, have been overhit, authorities were trying to accommodate more fans.
“We have been oversubscribed and we are running short of tickets. The demand rose to as much as four times high and we are packed to capacity,” a representative of the FFF told the Observer.
While the iconic OCEC is expecting thousands from across the Sultanate of Oman and beyond to visit the fan festival, a gamut of exciting games, activities, contests, entertainment, and cuisine from all corners of the globe are arranged to keep attendees engaged.
“We are incredibly pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response to the Football Fan Festival so far. It is very encouraging to see such promising results after so much time, dedication, and effort continue to be put into this project by several teams, volunteers, contractors, and small businesses. Now, with the tournament heating up and the anticipation building for the finals, we are looking to ramp up the festivities even higher,” Shabib al Maamari, Managing Director, Visit Oman said.
There has been a steady stream of people from across various walks of life ever since FFF opened its doors on November 20, a part of the ‘Oman World Cup Programme‘.
This number was expected to increase further as the tournament entered the final knockout stages, with the highly anticipated final match taking place on December 18, 2022. Outside of the match broadcasts, a wide variety of contests, activities, competitions, food stalls, and more will keep visitors entertained for the remainder of the festival.
FFF Daily Prize Draw, an exciting daily prize draw run every day starting on Tuesday, November 29, every person who visited the Football Fan Festival can join a lucky draw to win exciting prizes until the end of the tournament. There are various prizes on offer, including vouchers for Grand Medical Care treatments, night stays at luxury four- and five-star hotels throughout Oman, vouchers for food and beverage outlets and culinary experiences at various hotels, tickets to performances at the Royal Opera House, Muscat, and many more fun activities.
The festival is also hosting the award ceremony of the Football Fan Festival Championship for Students of Muscat Governorate Schools 2022, organised in collaboration with the Directorate General of Education in the Governorate of Muscat. 96 teams (960 students) from all Muscat government KS1 schools competed in the tournament that started on November 21. The prize-giving ceremony will be held on the festival’s main stage on December 18, after the tournament's final match takes place at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The Football Fan Festival in Muscat, sponsored by the Sustainable City – Yiti, Coca-Cola, Lulu Hypermarket, and Grand Medical, is set to be the largest celebration of football in Oman, spanning an area of over 9,000 square metres. It will take place in the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) gardens between November 20 and December 18, 2022, in a specially constructed, family-friendly fan village. Visitors to the Festival will be able to watch all World Cup 2022 matches and engage in everything from creative activations to interactive games, live performances, and food and beverage outlets serving local and international cuisine.
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