Tickets for the long-awaited Dubai Expo are now on sale. Plugged to be one of the best places to visit in 2021/2022, here are the top things to do at Dubai Expo 2020.
Held every five years, the first World Expo was in 1851 in London, and the most recent was in Milan in 2015. However, the Dubai Expo 2020 will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia, and is said to be the largest event to ever take place in the UAE. Working under the theme of ‘Connecting minds, creating the future’, the Dubai Expo 2020 will be particularly focused on the sub themes of mobility, sustainability and opportunity.
Despite being postponed for a year due to the pandemic, the name Expo 2020 is still being used. The Expo will run for six months, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. With 25 million visitors expected during the six months, it will be the largest tourist event since the pandemic began.
The main site will be a 438-hectare area between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, close to Al Maktoum International Airport. The Expo will have its own dedicated Dubai Metro Station stop providing easy access for visitors. Grouped by themed pavilions, the event aims to connect people from across the world and invites its visitors to experience the best of art, culture, music, science, innovation and technology.
With tickets now on sale, discover the top things to do at the Dubai Expo 2020 below:
Visit the Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability Pavilions
Located within their corresponding districts, these three pavilions will showcase each of the three sub themes.
The Mobility Pavilion will tell the story of the movement of people, goods and services, data and ideas, and social mobility. The pavilion will also include the world’s largest elevator, which can transport over 160 people at a time.
The Opportunity Pavilion will enable visitors to realise the role they play in human development through their actions. Visitors to the pavilion will be guided through three themes; water, food and energy.
The Sustainability Pavilion, also known as ‘Terra’, will explore our relationship with nature, as well as ways we can change our everyday choices to reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact. This pavilion features 4,912 solar panels on the pavilion’s 130-metre-wide canopy and 18 energy trees.
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Travel the world through the different country pavilions
For the first time in World Expo history, every participating country will have its own pavilion. With more than 190 participating countries, each pavilion will showcase the best of their achievements and will offer visitors a taste of their own country’s culture and traditions. Whilst all country pavilions will be sure to wow, discover some of the coolest here.
The Netherlands Pavilion will be a celebration of nature and will house a vertical farm with edible plants and solar powered rain showers. Italy’s Pavilion certainly promises a masterpiece, with a 3-D printed replica of Michelangelo’s David statue. Slide down a three-storey transparent slide in Luxembourg’s Pavilion or walk through a tropical rainforest at the Singapore Pavilion.
The UK’s Pavilion, inspired by one of the late Stephen Hawking’s projects, will highlight the prominence of the UK’s artificial intelligence and space sector. Whilst the US Pavilion will feature a moving walkway that meanders through its main exhibits showcasing how freedom creates opportunity for all.
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Watch a show
With up to 60 live events expected each day, visitors can enjoy concerts, stand-up comedy, fashion shows, dance shows, pyrotechnics displays and much more throughout the event site. Although the full line up has yet to be announced, some shows will be staples throughout the six months. From a 21st century take on Beethoven at the German Pavilion, to the ‘Stars of the wild’ show, featuring beautiful creatures bathed in light, you can guarantee that any show at the Dubai Expo will be world class.
Said to be the ‘beating heart’ of the Expo, the Al Wasl Plaza will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as many other shows daily. Inspired by the Expo 2020 logo, the plaza is topped with a domed trellis and features the world’s largest immersive 360-degree projection screen on its surface. It will also house the UAE’s first opera, Al Wasl. Produced in partnership with the Welsh National Opera, the two-hour long production will feature more than 100 artists and musicians.
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Eat amazing cuisine from all around the world
Dubai is already known as a foodie paradise, but the Expo is about to take this to a whole new level. With more than 200 restaurants spread across the event site, you will be spoiled for choice. From menus prepared by famous chefs, to lunch prepared by robots, and hundreds of different cuisines from around the world, the Dubai Expo 2020 will delight your taste buds. As sustainability is big on the Expo’s agenda, there will be a focus on locally sourced produce and plant-based cuisine.
The revered line-up includes American chef David Myers, who will offer a twist on classic American fast food at Adrift Burger Bar, and Armenian-American chef Geoffrey Zakarian will debut The National Bar & Dining Rooms offering modern bistro cuisine. The famed Italian restaurant Scarpetta will launch its first ever Burrata Bar, whilst Rohit Ghai will bring his acclaimed London restaurant Kutir to the Expo.
Other mouth-watering concepts include the British Bread Ahead, which specialises in doughnuts; Mory Sacko, a rising talent in Paris’ restaurant scene will offer his signature African-Japanese fusion; and lifestyle guru Matthew Kenney will bring his plant-based cuisine to the Expo.
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Admire the architecture
Dubai is well known for breaking world records and creating world’s firsts when it comes to architecture and innovation. So, it should come as no surprise that the Dubai Expo 2020 will showcase superstars of the architect world.
The UAE’s Pavilion, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, was inspired by a falcon in flight and tells the story of the UAE as a global hub, as well as its ambitious plans for the future. Jose Paulo Gouvêa, an award-winning Brazilian architect, is the mastermind behind the Brazilian Pavilion. Water will be the main element throughout and will include a water feature that you can wade through yourself. The lantern shaped Chinese Pavilion, Belgium’s green arch and Israel’s sand dune inspired pavilion, are also dubbed to be great architectural spectacles.
Once the Expo is finished, the site will transition into a smart city, called District 2020 and over 80% of the buildings and attractions will become permanent fixtures. Considering the Paris Expo of 1889 gave us the Eiffel Tower, and Seattle might be without their Space Needle if it wasn’t for Seattle’s World Fair in 1962, it’s safe to say the architectural legacy for the Dubai Expo 2020 will go down in history.
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Visit Dubai Expo 2020 during a celebration
As the Dubai Expo 2020 will run for six months, the programme will incorporate many national and international celebrations. These include the UAE’s National Day on 2 December 2021, which is set to be a huge celebration as the country celebrates its Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary). The Expo will host a special programme of events in the build-up to this important day.
Other important celebrations include Diwali, Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and International Women’s Day, to name but a few. Featuring special event programmes for each holiday or international day, a visit to the Dubai Expo 2020 during one of these celebrations will make your experience even more special.
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Enjoy Dubai’s other attractions and experiences
Besides the Expo, Dubai has some must-visit classic attractions, such as Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall and Atlantis the Palm.
The long-awaited Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel, will be opening on 21 October 2021 to coincide with the Expo. Set to be one of Dubai’s biggest attractions, the Ain Dubai will provide its riders with unrivalled views of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The Museum of the Future, one of the world’s most beautiful museums, is also set to open in the near future.
And if you’re still looking for things to do in Dubai, then read this article for some further inspiration.
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