The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) sanctions world expositions. Some have been recognised retrospectively because they took place before the BIE came into existence.
The designation "World Exposition" refers to a class of the largest, general scope exhibitions of up to 6 months' duration.[1]
This list does not include BIE-recognised International Horticultural Exhibitions.
Category
World Expo | BIE-International Registered exhibitions that take place every five years and last up to 6 months. All exhibitions in this category which took place before 1928 were subsequently recognized by the BIE. |
---|---|
Specialised Expo | BIE-International Recognised exhibitions that take place between two World Expos and last up to 3 months. (This definition was adopted after 1988; prior to that, some longer running ones, including 1988 Brisbane, were classified as Specialised Expos.) |
List by date
Dates | Name of Exposition | Country[2] | City[2] | Category | Theme[3] | Notables | Visitors in millions[4] |
Cost in millions (USD unless specified) |
Area (ha) |
Attending countries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
04/1851 – 10/1851 | The Great Exhibition | United Kingdom | London | World Expo | Industry of all Nations | The Crystal Palace | 6.00 | 1.65 | 10 | 25 |
05/1855 – 11/1855 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International | France | Paris | World Expo | Agriculture, Industry and Arts | Palais d'Industrie Bordeaux Wine classification |
5.00 | 2 | 15 | 25 |
05/1862 – 11/1862 | International Exhibition | United Kingdom | London | World Expo | Industry and Arts | 6.00 | 2 | 15 | 39 | |
04/1867 – 11/1867 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International | France | Paris | World Expo | Agriculture, Industry and Arts | Champ de Mars | 15.00 | 4.5 | 69 | 42 |
05/1873 – 10/1873 | Weltausstellung 1873 Wien / Austrian International Exposition | Austria-Hungary | Vienna | World Expo | Culture and Education | Rotunde | 7.25 | 9.5 | 233 | 35 |
05/1876 – 11/1876 | Centennial Exposition | United States | Philadelphia | World Expo | Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine | Centennial Arboretum Telephone Heinz Ketchup |
10.00 | 8 | 115 | 35 |
05/1878 – 11/1878 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International Exposition | France | Paris | World Expo | New Technologies | Statue of Liberty Telephone Braille |
16.00 | 11 | 75 | 36 |
10/1880 – 04/1881 | Melbourne International Exhibition | Colony of Victoria | Melbourne | World Expo | Arts, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Industrial Products of all Nations | Royal Exhibition Buildings & Carlton Gardens | 1.30 | 1.6 | 25 | 33 |
04/1888 – 12/1888 | Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) | Spain | Barcelona | World Expo | Fine and Industrial Art | Arc de Triomf Columbus Monument |
2.30 | 1.7 | 47 | 30 |
05/1889 – 10/1889 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International Exposition | France | Paris | World Expo | French Revolution | Eiffel Tower Annie Oakley |
32.00 | 0.3 | 96 | 35 |
05/1893 – 10/1893 | World's Columbian Exposition | United States | Chicago | World Expo | Discovery of America | Midway Plaisance Fine Arts Building Fluorescent lamp Ferris wheel |
27.50 | 27 | 279 | 19 |
05/1897 – 11/1897 | Brussels International Exposition | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | Modern Life | 7.80 | 132 | 27 | ||
04/1900 – 11/1900 | Paris International | France | Paris | World Expo | 19th Century: an overview | Motion Pictures Escalator Summer Olympics |
50.80 | 18.75 | 120 | 58 |
04/1904 – 12/1904 | Louisiana Purchase | United States | St. Louis | World Expo | Louisiana Purchase | Forest Park Palace of Fine Art Vulcan statue In conjunction with Summer Olympics |
19.69 | 31.5 | 515 | 63 |
04/1905 – 11/1905 | Liège International (1905) | Belgium | Liège | World Expo | Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of independence | 7.00 | 2.9 | 70 | 31 | |
04/1906 – 11/1906 | Milan International | Italy | Milan | World Expo | Transport | Electric Tramways | 10.00 | 2.6 | 100 | 25 |
04/1910 – 11/1910 | Brussels International Exhibition | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | Works of Art and Science, Agricultural and Industrial Products of All Nations | 13.00 | 3.5 | 90 | 26 | |
04/1913 – 11/1913 | Exposition universelle et international / Ghent International Exposition | Belgium | Ghent | World Expo | Peace, Industry and Arts | Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station | 9.50 | 3.3 | 130 | 24 |
02/1915 – 12/1915 | Panama–Pacific International Exposition | United States | San Francisco | World Expo | Inauguration of the Panama Canal | Tower of Jewels Palace of Fine Arts |
19.00 | 25.8 | 254 | 32 |
05/1929 – 01/1930 | Barcelona International Exposition | Spain | Barcelona | World Expo | Arts, Industry and Sport | Barcelona Pavilion Palau Nacional Montjuïc Stadium |
5.8 | 25 | 118 | 29 |
05/1933 – 10/1934 | Century of Progress | United States | Chicago | World Expo | The interdependence among Industry and scientific research | Sky Ride Graf Zeppelin Homes of Tomorrow First MLB All Star Game |
38.80[5] | 42.9 | 170 | 19 |
04/1935 – 11/1935 | Brussels International Exposition | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | Transports | 20.00 | 197 BEF | 152 | 30 | |
05/1936 – 06/1936 | ILIS 1936 | Sweden | Stockholm | Specialised Expo | Aviation | Stockholm Bromma Airport | 0.5 | 8 | ||
05/1937 – 11/1937 | Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne / Paris International Exposition | France | Paris | World Expo | Arts and Technology in modern life | Arc de Triomphe | 31.00 | 1,400 FRF | 105 | 44 |
05/1938 – 05/1938 | Second International Aeronautic Exhibition | Finland | Helsinki | Specialised Expo | Aerospace | Malmi Airterminal | 0.08 | 25 | ||
04/1939 – 10/1940 | New York World's Fair | United States | New York City | World Expo | Building The World of Tomorrow | Flushing Park Bell Labs' Voder Magna Carta |
45.00 [6] | 500 | 54 | |
05/1939 – 09/1939 | Exposition internationale de l'eau (1939) | Belgium | Liège | Specialised Expo | Art of Water | Albert Canal | 50 | 8 | ||
07/1947 – 08/1947 | International Exhibition on Urbanism and Housing | France | Paris | Specialised Expo | Urbanism and Housing | Immeubles d’Etat | 6.35 | 14 | ||
07/1949 – 08/1949 | Universal Sport Exhibition (1949) | Sweden | Stockholm | Specialised Expo | Sport and physical culture | Pehr Henrik Ling | 37 | |||
09/1949 – 10/1949 | The International Exhibition of Rural Habitat in Lyon | France | Lyon | Specialised Expo | Rural Habitat | Foire de Lyon | 110 | |||
12/1949 – 06/1950 | Exposition internationale du bicentenaire de Port-au-Prince | Haiti | Port-au-Prince | World Expo | The festival of Peace | Gulf of Gonâve | 24 | 15 | ||
04/1951 – 05/1951 | The International Textile Exhibition | France | Lille | Specialised Expo | Textile | Textile | 1.5 | 15 | 22 | |
07/1953 – 10/1953 | EA 53 | Italy | Rome | Specialised Expo | Agriculture | Esposizione Universale Roma Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana |
1.7 | 12 | ||
09/1953 – 10/1953 | Conquest of the Desert (exhibition) | Israel | Jerusalem | Specialised Expo | Conquest of the Desert | 4.6 | 13 | |||
05/1954 – 10/1954 | The International Exhibition of Navigation (1954) | Italy | Naples | Specialised Expo | Navigation | 100 | 25 | |||
05/1955 – 06/1955 | The International Expo of Sport (1955) | Italy | Turin | Specialised Expo | Sport | 11 | ||||
06/1955 – 08/1955 | Helsingborg exhibition 1955 | Sweden | Helsingborg | Specialised Expo | Modern Man in the Environment | 10 | ||||
05/1956 – 06/1956 | Exhibition of citriculture | Israel | Beit Dagan | Specialised Expo | Citrus | 55 | ||||
07/1957 – 09/1957 | Interbau | West Germany | West Berlin | Specialised Expo | Reconstruction of Hansa District | Hansaviertel | 1.00 | 53 | 13 | |
07/1958 – 09/1958 | Brussels World's Fair | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | A World View: A New Humanism | Heysel Atomium |
41.00 | 2,500 BEF | 200 | 42 |
05/1961 – 10/1961 | Expo 61 | Italy | Turin | Specialised Expo | Celebration of centennial of Italian unity | Palazzo del Lavoro | 5.00 | 50 | 19 | |
04/1962 – 10/1962 | Century 21 Exposition | United States | Seattle | World Expo | Man in the Space Age | Seattle Center Space Needle Seattle Monorail |
9.60[7] | 47[7] | 30 | 24 |
06/1965 – 10/1965 | IVA 65 | West Germany | Munich | Specialised Expo | Transport | E03 | 3.20 | 50.20 | 36 | |
04/1967 – 10/1967 | Expo '67 | Canada | Montreal | World Expo | Man and His World | Canadian Centennial IMAX Montreal Metro Habitat '67 Montreal Biosphère |
50.30[8] | 431 CAD | 365 | 62 |
04/1968 – 10/1968 | HemisFair '68 | United States | San Antonio | Specialised Expo | Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas | Tower of the Americas Institute of Texan Cultures HemisFair Arena |
6.40[9] | 156[9] | 37.64[9] | 23 |
03/1970 – 09/1970 | Expo '70 | Japan | Osaka | World Expo | Progress and Harmony for Mankind | Tower of the Sun Moon rock Electric Cars[10] |
64.2[11] | 30 Profit[10] |
329.82[10] | 75 |
08/1971 – 09/1971 | Expo 71 | Hungary | Budapest | Specialised Expo | The Hunt through the World | International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) | 1.90 | 35.0 | 52 | |
05/1974 – 11/1974 | Expo '74 | United States | Spokane | Specialised Expo | Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh New Environment | IMAX[12] | 5.60 | 78.4 | 41[12] | 10 |
07/1975 – 01/1976 | Expo '75 | Japan | Okinawa | Specialised Expo | The Sea We would like to See | Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium | 3.48 | 100.0 | 35 | |
06/1981 – 07/1981 | Expo 81 | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | Specialised Expo | Hunting | International Fair Plovdiv | ||||
05/1982 – 10/1982 | 1982 World's Fair | United States | Knoxville | Specialised Expo | Energy Turns the World | Sunsphere | 11.00 | 42[13] | 30[13] | 16 |
05/1984 – 11/1984 | 1984 World's Fair | United States | New Orleans | Specialised Expo | The World of Rivers– Fresh Water as a source of life | Convention Center | 7.35 | 350 | 33.99[14] | 15 |
03/1985 – 09/1985 | Expo 85 (Tsukuba, Japan) | Japan | Tsukuba | Specialised Expo | Dwellings and Surroundings – Science and Technology for Man at Home | HSST Jumbotron |
20.3 | 100[15] | 48 | |
11/1985 – 11/1985 | Expo 85 (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | Specialised Expo | Inventions | International Fair Plovdiv | 1.00 | 5.80 | 73 | |
05/1986 – 10/1986 | Expo '86 | Canada | Vancouver | Specialised Expo | Transportation and Communication: World in Motion - World in Touch | Science World Skytrain BC Place Canada Place |
22.11 | 311 CAD deficit | 70 | 55 |
04/1988 – 10/1988 | Expo '88 | Australia | Brisbane | Specialised Expo | Leisure in the Age of Technology | Sunsails, Nepal Peace Pagoda, Skyneedle | 18.50 | 625 AUD | 40 | 36 |
06/1991 – 07/1991 | Expo 91 | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | Specialised Expo | The activity of young people in the service of a World of Peace | World Intellectual Property Organization | 8 | |||
04/1992 – 10/1992 | Expo '92 | Spain | Seville | World Expo | The Era of Discovery | Puente del Alamillo | 41.80[16] | 215 | 108 | |
05/1992 – 08/1992 | Expo Colombo '92 | Italy | Genoa | Specialised Expo | Christopher Columbus, The Ship and the Sea | Aquarium of Genoa | 0.8 | 6 | 54 | |
08/1993 – 11/1993 | Expo '93 | South Korea | Daejeon | Specialised Expo | The Challenge of a New Road of Development | Expo Science Park, Daejeon Museum of Art | 14.50 | 90.10 | 141 | |
05/1998 – 09/1998 | Expo '98 | Portugal | Lisbon | Specialised Expo | The Oceans: A Heritage for the Future | Pavilhão Atlântico Lisbon Oceanarium Pavilion of Portugal |
10.10 | 50 | 143 | |
06/2000 – 10/2000 | Expo 2000 | Germany | Hanover | World Expo | Man, Nature, Technology | Hannover Principles | 18.10 | 3,400 DEM[17][18] | 160 | 155 |
03/2005 – 09/2005 | Expo 2005 | Japan | Aichi | World Expo | Nature's Wisdom | Satsuki and Mei's House ASIMO The Frozen Mammoth |
22.04 | 173 | 121 | |
06/2008 – 09/2008 | Expo 2008 | Spain | Zaragoza | Specialised Expo | Water and Sustainable development | Bridge Pavilion Water Tower |
5.650 | 25 | 108 | |
05/2010 – 10/2010 | Expo 2010 | People's Republic of China | Shanghai | World Expo | Better City, Better Life | Expo Axis Oriental Crown (Currently China Art Museum, Shanghai) |
73.08 | 4,200 (5,800 including infrastructure)[19] | 523 | 192 |
05/2012 – 08/2012 | Expo 2012 | South Korea | Yeosu | Specialised Expo | The Living Ocean and Coast | The Big-O[20] The Sky Tower[21] |
8.20 | 176.9 | 25 | 103 |
05/2015 – 10/2015 | Expo 2015 | Italy | Milan | World Expo | Feeding the planet, Energy for life | The Tree of Life | 21.5 | 110 | 145 | |
06/2017 – 09/2017 | Expo 2017 | Kazakhstan | Astana | Specialised Expo | Future Energy | The Nur Alem Sphere | 4.1 | 25 | 115 | |
10/2021 – 03/2022 | Expo 2020 | United Arab Emirates | Dubai[22] | World Expo | Connecting Minds, Creating the Future | Al Wasl Plaza | 24.103[23] | 438 | 192 | |
05/2024 – 08/2024 | Expo 2024 official page | Republic of China | Taipei City | Specialised Expo | Comprehensive tours for countries and regions below each country + companies + individuals | Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 | 30ten thousand | 976Billion USD | ? | 203 |
Planned expositions
Date[2] | Name of Exposition | Country [2] | City [2] | Category [2] | Theme[3] or symbol |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | Expo 2025 | Japan | Osaka[24] | World Expo | Designing Future Society for Our Lives |
2027 | Expo 2027 | Serbia | Belgrade[25] | Specialised Expo | Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All |
2030 | Expo 2030 | Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | World Expo | The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow |
Proposed expositions
List by country
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Crystal_Palace_-_Queen_Victoria_opens_the_Great_Exhibition.jpg/220px-Crystal_Palace_-_Queen_Victoria_opens_the_Great_Exhibition.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Looking_West_From_Peristyle%2C_Court_of_Honor_and_Grand_Basin%2C_1893.jpg/220px-Looking_West_From_Peristyle%2C_Court_of_Honor_and_Grand_Basin%2C_1893.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/CoP-poster.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/Expo88catologo.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/HONDA_ASIMO.jpg/220px-HONDA_ASIMO.jpg)
See also
References
- ^ "About World Expos". bie-paris.org. Bureau International des Expositions. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "All Expos". Archived from the original on 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
- ^ a b "ExpoMuseum". Archived from the original on 2006-07-14. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
- ^ "BIE homepage". Archived from the original on 2017-05-23. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
- ^ "1933 Chicago". www.bie-paris.org.
- ^ Non official data https://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/1939-new-york
- ^ a b "Seattlea facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
- ^ "1967 Montreal". www.bie-paris.org.
- ^ a b c "San Antonio facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-24. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ a b c "Osaka facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
- ^ "1970 Osaka". www.bie-paris.org.
- ^ a b "Spokane facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-24. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ a b "Knoxville facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-24. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ "New Orleans facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ "Tsukuba facts". Archived from the original on 2006-11-17. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
- ^ "1992 Seville". www.bie-paris.org.
- ^ "Nachrichten". BerlinOnline.de. 2013-09-19. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
- ^ Wir Sind Helden. Das EXPO- Buch. Offizieller Katalog zur EXPO 2000 mit CD- ROM: Amazon.de: Birgit Breuel: Bücher. Amazon.de. ASIN 3570003434.
- ^ "Shanghai sets stage for World Expo spectacular". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2010-04-29.
- ^ "The Big-O". Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
- ^ "The Sky Tower". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
- ^ a b "The UAE has been elected As the Host Country of the World Expo 2020". Archived from the original on 2019-01-15. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ "Dubai promise, delivered: Expo 2020 clocks over 24 million visits". Khaleej Times. 2022-04-02. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ "Japan elected host country of World Expo 2025". Archived from the original on 2018-11-24. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ "Expo 2027 Official Site". Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Spokane facts". Archived from the original on 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2006-07-21.