Thirty-five years ago today, Specialised Expo 1988 Brisbane opened its gates, welcoming visitors with the slogan “Together we’ll show the world”. The Expo, which put Brisbane on a global stage and transformed the South Bank area, is still remembered as a game changer for the city. Here are five interesting facts about Expo 1988 Brisbane:

During the first International Participants Meeting in preparation for Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, and marking 900 days to go until the opening of the Expo, a new video rendering of the World Expo site has been revealed.

The video shows the Expo site complete with its wooden grand roof, with images of the different parts of the Expo including Pavilion World, Green World and Water World.

For some, the prospect of visiting a World Expo is an opportunity that cannot be missed. When Expo 1967 took place in Montreal, Tony Whittemore and his brother Jeff, aged only 11 and 9, were desperate to discover the Expo’s magic. The only problem – they lived 350 miles away, in Needham, Massachusetts.

Despite the challenges of Covid-19, Expo 2020 Dubai successfully ran from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Foreign dignitaries such as Prince William, and the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Professor Klaus Schwab, and performers including the likes of Alicia Keys and Coldplay, were among the millions of people from around the world who visited the impressive Expo site that was specially built for the world’s largest gathering of people.

Sixty-five years ago today, on 6 July 1957, the “Interbau” international building exhibition – Specialised Expo 1957 Berlin - opened its doors to the public in Berlin’s Hansaviertel neighbourhood. The Expo, which took place in response to the housing shortage in West Berlin and sought to showcase the modern architecture, transformed the area and left behind a variety of architectural masterpieces. With a total of 53 architects involved in the large-scale project to build “the city of tomorrow”, discover five iconic buildings from Expo 1957 Berlin:

Eighty-five years ago today, on 25 May 1937, countries from around the world gathered in Paris for the opening of a six-month World Expo dedicated to arts and technology in modern life. Taking place in a unique context of geopolitical tensions and social change, the works of art commissioned for Expo 1937 Paris stood out not only for their scale, aesthetics, and creative significance, but also for their political and social meaning. Here are five iconic masterpieces, all created for Expo 1937 Paris:

It was on 28 April 1967 – 55 years ago today – that Montreal invited the whole world to discover “Man and his World” at Expo 1967. The spectacular World Expo, which marked Canada’s Centennial, gathered 60 countries and registered over 50 million visits during its six-month run. Here are five interesting facts about Expo 1967 Montreal:

 30 years ago today, Spain welcomed the world as it opened the gates to Expo 1992 Seville, themed “The Age of Discovery”. Here are a few facts about the World Expo that you might not have known:

With Expo 2020 Dubai having closed its gates on the night of 31 March 2022 after 182 fabulous days, the final episodes of the Inside Expo podcast take a look at some of the Expo’s iconic pavilions, its dedication to the UN’s SDGs, and how to say goodbye.

As Expo 2020 Dubai enters its final days, the latest episodes of the Inside Expo podcast look at some of the pop culture that has stemmed from past Expos, as well as the fascinating story of the gold ring that inspired Expo 2020 Dubai’s logo.

We are Shabnam and Sid from Toronto, and we had the chance to visit Expo 2020 Dubai as part of our travels. We found the World Expo to be an incredible and unique experience of creativity, culture and what the future holds for us.

The latest episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast explore the Vision Pavilion and the story it tells of Dubai’s journey, as well as the innovative approach the Expo Organiser took to protect the health and wellness of workers on the Expo site.

Expo 2020 Dubai has been a phenomenal opportunity to learn about the cultures, history and innovations from countries around the world. Visiting the tremendous pavilions has been an exciting adventure that has felt like travelling the world all while being in one place.

Physical and virtual connections are the subject of the most recent episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast, with an exploration of the broader meaning of mobility, as well as the limitless opportunities of virtual content and collaboration.

Being a nurse couple from Abu Dhabi, we were so lucky to visit the world in one place to see countries' expertise and what they can offer. More often, they talk about on how to save the planet with advanced technologies.

The latest episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast look at the architecture of some of the Expo’s most prominent landmarks, as well as the Expo’s role in incubating and showcasing Artificial Intelligence technologies.

After living in Dubai for the past 5 years, I’ve felt the excitement for Expo 2020 grow and grow. After the intense wait it had finally opened and I don’t think anyone could have imaged how large and vast this crazy event would be.

The shared human interest for other cultures and for past cultures is at the heart of the latest two episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast.

The Middle East region, and in particular the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region consisting of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, is increasingly a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and food practices, as is demonstrated by World Expo 2020 Dubai and Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha.

We came to the Expo when Terra – the Sustainability Pavilion opened as part of the Pavilion Premiere last year, and we fell in love with Expo 2020 Dubai. We were so excited to come back this year to see what else Expo 2020 Dubai had in offer, and were even more in awe. The World Expo has really surpassed all our expectations.

The two latest episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast are dedicated to the promise of youth, with a focus on how young people are empowered at Expo 2020 Dubai, and on the 11-year-old girl who conveyed the sense of hope at the Expo’s Opening Ceremony.

In the latest two episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast, learn about the ways the Expo’s message and experience are conveyed, and discover some of the hidden gems built into the Expo site.

The latest episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast pay tribute to some of Expo 2020 Dubai’s most prominent musical creations, as well as to Expo ‘superfans’.

The latest two episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast address the role of majlis – a space for conversation and dialogue – in serving as a model for Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as the evolution of robots in Expos over the decades.

In the latest episode of Inside Expo, Expo 2020 Dubai’s podcast, learn how the Expo’s mascots - Latifa and Rashid, their robot guardians Opti, Alif and Terra, and Salama the Ghaf tree – came to life.

For its first episode of 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Inside Expo podcast turns its attention to the history of Emirati participation in Expos, dating back to Expo 1970 Osaka.

The three most recent episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai's Inside Expo podcast focus around two key aspects of all Expos: their legacy, and the innovations they showcase.

The Inside Expo podcast has released three new episodes in the past week, with two episodes dedicated to the sustainable innovations presented at Expos, and one episode focused on technological advances in communication as seen through Expo 1939 New York and Expo 2020 Dubai.

In the latest two episodes of the Inside Expo podcast, learn about the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), from its Secretary General, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, and discover how Expo 2020 Dubai is helping to build a more resilient future for all through its Expo Live programme.

The newest two episodes of Inside Expo - Expo 2020 Dubai’s podcast series – look near and far in terms of the earthly and the celestial factors that shape World Expos.

The two latest episodes of Expo 2020 Dubai’s podcast, Inside Expo, continue in the exploration of the meaning behind the Expo and what visitors can discover there.

Expo 2020 Dubai – the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa & South Asia (MEASA) region, themed “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” – opened its gates on 1 October 2021 and will welcome millions of visitors before it closes on 31 March 2022.

When Vancouver, the largest city in Canada’s British Columbia province, hosted a Specialised Expo in 1986, it joined the Pacific Northwest’s other major cities, Seattle (1909, World Expo 1962), Portland (1905) and Spokane (Specialised Expo 1974) as hosts of international exhibitions. Looking back on the 35 years since Expo 1986 Vancouver, this event has also gained important symbolism as the last Expo hosted in North America, with the gap between then and now far longer than the previous interval (between 1940 and 1962) caused by the interruption of World War II.

With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic having led to various degrees of restrictions around the world – often for extended periods – keeping an active body and mind emerged as a key challenge. This is of particular importance for children and teenagers, whose active lifestyles were in some cases abruptly halted by stay-at-home limitations and school closures.

Music has played a central and prominent role in Expos since the very first editions that took place in the 19th century. Driven by technological and social advancements, Expos have always had a strong musical element, putting the spotlight on new instruments, genres and musicians, and holding memorable performances. From Belioz’s concert at Expo 1855 Paris to Edgar Varèse’s Poème électronique at Expo 1958 Brussels and the Scorpions’ Moment of Glory concert at Expo 2000 Hannover, music beats through the heart of all World Expos.

With two billion people in the world lacking access to toilet facilities, poor sanitation is a global problem responsible for the transmission of diseases, malnutrition and an estimated 432,000 deaths annually. This issue is easily preventable, with investment in improved sanitation reaping significant long-term benefits on health and well-being.

An estimated one billion people around the world are living with disabilities, and while great strides have been made towards inclusion, people of determination remain at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion. As a result of physical barriers, unsuitable tools and discrimination, the employment rate is significantly lower than the overall average.

When faced with challenges, we naturally turn to experts, scientists, engineers and researchers to find and create appropriate solutions. But what if we also asked and listened to children for their ideas on improving the world?

For rural and pastoral communities in cross-border regions, restrictions on mobility as well as limited resources can pose a major challenge to livelihoods. Coupled with the impact of climate change and intercommunity tensions, the situation can rapidly hamper the whole region’s economic and social well-being.

Half the world’s population does not have access to essential health services, a figure that is all the more dramatic in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. With many of the world’s poorest countries having less than one doctor per 1,000 people, improving access to healthcare is a global priority.

About half of the wood cut down every year around the world is used to produce energy, mostly as fuel for cooking and heating. While this significant and unsustainable use of wood fuel perpetuates deforestation and contributions towards carbon emissions, the livelihoods and survival of many of the world’s poorest people relies on such energy, with one third of the global population dependent on wood or charcoal for cooking.

Around the world, almost half of all deaths in children aged under five are caused by poor nutrition. Chronic malnutrition in children stunts the development of the brain and body, increasing the likelihood of illness and negatively affecting the child's chances of staying in education – leading to lower earnings and ultimately trapping people in a cycle of poverty.

Early childhood care and education offers pre-primary-school-age children the opportunity to develop emotional and social capabilities required to thrive in school, and increases their chances of reaching their full potential later in life. Yet only about one in five young children in low-income countries are enrolled in pre-school, and many working parents have little choice but to leave their young children with informal or inadequate care providers.

Around the world, the continuous growth of cities puts pressure on the environment and particularly on water resources; it is estimated that 80 per cent of wastewater is released into the environment without adequate treatment. With two thirds of the world’s population living in severe water scarcity at least one month per year, it is vital to manage water resources in a sustainable manner.

The production of construction materials has a significant negative environmental impact: cement alone accounts for between five and 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP). In addition, plastic waste is an increasing global problem, oceans expected to contain more plastic than fish by 2050. With the world’s rising population, plastic waste and demand for construction materials are also set to grow.

Only nine per cent of all plastic ever produced has been recycled; 12 per cent has been incinerated and 79 per cent has ended up in landfill or the natural environment. Global production of plastic waste is about 300 million tonnes every year, almost equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Plastic waste related to food and beverages – including plastic bottles, bags, straws, wrappers, cups and utensils – are a significant portion of this total.

When people are forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution or natural disaster, the provision of basic necessities is the utmost priority, but their welfare is also heavily dependent on the environment of where they settle. Deforestation, soil erosion and the depletion and pollution of water resources are among the most significant challenges that can be associated with the arrival and residency of internally displaced people and refuges.

Around the world, a staggering one billion people suffer from some form of preventable or treatable vision impairment. This ranges from moderate and severe vision impairment to blindness, with the leading cause being uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts. A lack of access to necessary medical equipment and professionals means that visual impairment is four times higher in in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income regions.

The FAO estimates that around one third of global food production is lost or wasted each year, a subject that was at the heart of the most recent World Expo – Expo 2015 Milan, themed “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. This challenge is a global one – rich countries waste around the same amount of food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, hunger remains a global problem with around 9% of the world’s population lacking access to sufficient food.

Accessing mental health services can be a major challenge, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where more than 65 million people suffer from mental health issues. Care providers are stretched thin, with as few as one psychiatrist per 100,000 people in the MENA region, while social stigma, discrimination and neglect often prevent people from attending psychotherapy clinics or seeking help. With two-thirds of global population not seeking treatment because of these challenges, and suicide the second-highest cause of death among young people, the need for mental health services is greater than ever.