FIFA promises free concerts for fans at World Cup in Qatar

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Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. acclaimed / əˈkleɪmd / (adj.) – highly recognized or praised
    Example:

    Michael Jackson is a highly acclaimed musician.


  2. waterfront / ˈwɔ tərˌfrʌnt / (n.) – land, building, or any part of a place that’s in front of a body of water
    Example:

    Luis went to a waterfront restaurant to watch the sunset.


  3. consumption / kənˈsʌmp ʃən / (n.) – the act of eating or drinking something
    Example:

    Excessive consumption of junk food is unhealthy.


  4. sponsor / ˈspɒn sər / (n.) – a person or organization that donates money or pays for something in return for advertising
    Example:

    Our company was the sponsor for the food at this event.


  5. act / ækt / (n.) – a performance
    Example:

    The musical act moved me to tears.


Article

Read the text below.

FIFA promised to stage free concerts with international stars for visitors to the official Fan Festival in Qatar during the World Cup.


FIFA said the Al Bidda Park in central Doha will host “concerts starring top global and local music acts and live works by internationally acclaimed performance artists” during the 29 days of World Cup games. The tournament starts on Nov. 20.


The festival site next to the Corniche waterfront and close to the West Bay neighborhood will be the official viewing area for fans to watch the 64 games on giant screens. A policy on alcohol consumption was confirmed that will allow sponsor Budweiser to serve beer after 6:30 p.m.


FIFA said it also plans to hold soccer games at the venue featuring former World Cup stars who are part of its Legends program.


More than 1 million visitors are expected at the first World Cup hosted in the Middle East.


FIFA said official fan festivals are also planned in other cities worldwide during the tournament.


No music acts have yet been confirmed for the Doha venue.


Since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, FIFA has run fan zone viewing areas with local organizers in host nations. The first edition included a pre-tournament show in Berlin featuring Nelly Furtado and Simple Minds.


At the 2012 European Championship co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, Elton John gave a free concert at the official Kyiv fan zone one day before the final. The concert was also an AIDS charity benefit.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • FIFA promised to stage free concerts with international stars during the World Cup. What do you think is the benefit for FIFA of organizing non-sports events during tournaments? Discuss.
  • Would you be interested to see the concert organized by FIFA? Which international artists would you like to see? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • In your opinion, why do events tie up with alcoholic beverage companies? Discuss.
  • A policy on alcohol consumption was set to serve beer during the event after 6:30 p.m. Do you agree with setting policies on alcohol consumption during an event? Why or why not? Discuss.