DUBAI, 29 September 2021 – Expo 2020 Dubai’s star-studded Opening Ceremony was streamed live to more than 430 locations across the UAE, giving everyone the chance to participate in the mind-blowing spectacle, wherever they might be.

This was followed a night later by three spectacular fireworks displays in Dubai, marking the first full day of the Expo in a spectacular visual celebration commemorating the journey from winning the bid in 2013 to opening the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region and the largest global event held since the start of the pandemic.

On Thursday, 30 September, nation-wide Opening Ceremony viewing parties took place across the country, thanking the nation for its support and inviting everyone to come together to celebrate this momentous occasion for Dubai, the UAE and the region as a whole.

Screens were set up in locations ranging from airports and shopping malls to hotels and other landmarks, relaying the incredible music and cultural performances as they happen.

Viewers from anywhere in the world also joined the evening’s proceedings via a global live stream, available on virtualexpo.world and Expo TV.

Among those who performed wereworld-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli; Grammy-nominated, Golden-Globe-winning actress, singer and songwriter Andra Day; platinum-selling British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding; international mega-star pianist Lang Lang; and four-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo.

The incredible fireworks displays took place on the evening of Friday 1 October, at Dubai Festival City, The Frame and The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, with each presenting their own unique celebrations. Both The Pointe and Dubai Festival City incorporated their fountains into a dazzling light and sound show themed on Expo 2020, while The Frame façade was lit up in Expo colours. The flags of participating countries were also displayed at each, with booths on the ground for purchasing Expo 2020 tickets.

The roster of streaming locations for the Opening Ceremony included more than 240 hotels nation-wide, including Emaar’s Rove, Armani, Address Hotels & Resorts, and Vida Hotels & Resorts, as well as Accor, Marriot, Hilton, IHG, Rotana, Jumeirah, Hyatt International and Atlantis The Palm.

In addition, 17 Majid Al Futtaim malls, plus City Walk, Nakheel Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall, as well as 50 Jashanmal locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, 97 Mediclinics, Dubai and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Zabeel Ladies Club and Sharaf DG also streamed the experience.

Expo 2020 Partners also offered their invaluable support, with many, including Dulsco, Terminus Group, L’Oreal and Nissan, hosting Opening Ceremony viewing parties for their staff. Emirates, the Official Airline Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, also streamed proceedings across its first and business class lounges, both local and international.

Adding to the evening’s magic, viewings took place at various locations in Umm Al Quwain, Yas Plaza in Abu Dhabi and across various locations in Ras Al Khaimah, including the Corniche, Al Marjan Island and Manar Mall. Ajman Heritage District and Fujairah Fort also hosted a live broadcast, the latter accompanied by an evening of other festivities that include a mini village, folklore bands, traditional crafts, heritage displays and traditional food.

Tickets to Expo 2020 Dubai are available online and through more than 2,500 Authorised Ticket Resellers, including online travel agents, tour operators, hotel groups and airlines from 100-plus markets around the world.

About Expo 2020 Dubai

From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai will welcome visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, as it brings together the planet in one place to reimagine tomorrow.

• With the purpose of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 will be the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenge
• Expo 2020 will be the biggest cultural gathering in the world, presenting a visually striking and emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever
• Expo 2020’s subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone
• For six months, Expo 2020 will be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events, amazing exploratory experiences, and free entry for children up to age 18
• Expo is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world’s leading medical, science and health experts

Visit: www.expo2020dubai.com

Follow: Twitter: @Expo2020Dubai | Facebook: @Expo2020Dubai | Instagram: Expo2020Dubai

About World Expos

In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment.

World Expos are held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating international exhibitions (‘Expos’) and for fostering their core values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation. Today, four types of Expos are organised under the BIE’s auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos and the Triennale di Milano.

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