182 days sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It turns out that when you’re talking about the duration of a record-breaking, innovating, breath-taking, multi-sensory show like Expo 2020, time flies.
Without wishing to alarm you all too much, the end of Expo is firmly in sight.
So, without further ado, here, in no particular order (they’re all great), are 20 unmissable things you have to do before Thursday March 31.
Build your own robot and take a ride in the world’s largest passenger lift
Not only is the Foster + Partners designed Alif – Mobility Pavilion a sight to behold, it’s also fascinating to tour, offering a cutting-edge opportunity to admire the inspiring and quite simply staggering progress the UAE has made over the last 50 years.
Visitor can take an explorative leap into the future too, learning about the creation of smart cities, building their own robot or space ship and securing themselves a place in history by taking a turn in the world’s largest passenger lift (capable of carrying 160 people at time).
Mobility District.
Cycle the entire Expo 2020 site
Fancy touring the world in an hour? Join one of Expo’s free guided bicycle tours and in 60 minutes you’ll traverse the site’s 191 pavilions and all the districts (Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity) on two wheels. Alternatively, if you’ve got young kids in tow, why not hop on the bright yellow Expo Explorer.
Encourage your kids to unleash their artistic side at Hammour House
Inspired by the much-loved One Thousand and One Nights collection of Arabic folk tales, community art project Hammour House has been running fantastic sessions for children since Expo began. The creative fun shows no sign of letting up; their latest workshop is aimed at older kids (aged 14 up) and tasks them with first making their own sustainable paper, then using it to sculpt and paint corals.
Sessions will run until the 25th March and can be booked online: www.expo2020dubai.com/en/calendar/events/25-aug-2021/hammour-house-art-workshops
Be amazed at (and cool off in) the Expo 2020 Water Feature
Marvelling in awe at the staggering Expo 2020 Water Feature (and have a quick paddle while doing so) is a show essential. Clocking in at 13-metres tall and featuring 153 dancing jets, the gravity-defying feature sends fire spitting, dancing water cascading into the ground accompanied by a dramatic, specifically-written score from Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi. Go or spend the rest of your days regretting it.
Sun-Wed 10am-12am, Thu-Sat 10am-1am. Between Al Wasl Square and Jubilee Park.
View Expo 2020 from the sky
Part observation deck, part “flying park”, the 55m tall flora and fauna filled Garden in the Sky offers incredible 360-degree views of the entire Expo site, meaning there’s no better place to take a snapshot to remember the world’s greatest show by. A ride on the impressive rotating tower lasts five minutes and costs Dhs30 per person, with departures every 10 minutes, so there’s no excuse for missing out.
Dhs30. Jubilee Park.
Savour Italian simplicity at New York hotspot Scarpetta
Spaghetti with tomato and basil might not sound like much but order the signature dish at Scarpetta and prepare to have your mind blown and your tastebuds tantalised. Pasta not your thing? Come sit next to us at the burrata bar.
Sun-Thu 10m-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-11pm. Mobility District.
Watch the awesome light show at Al Wasl Plaza
The must-do of all the must-do activities. If you’re yet to stand or sit beneath the mesmerising domed ceiling of the world’s largest 360-degree projection screen, then frankly, what are you waiting for? Right that wrong pronto; every night as dusk falls the audio-visual theatre begins and visitors are immersed in a spectacular tale of human development.
Admire a Renaissance masterpiece
The Italian pavilion’s 3D-printed replica of Michelangelo’s David is nothing short of astonishing. Stare the symbolic statute straight in the eye while you still can.
Al Forsan.
Channel your inner kid at the Luxemburg Pavilion
Whoever had the genius idea of building a giant slide inside the Luxemburg Pavilion’s beautiful three-storey structure has our upmost respect. If you’re yet to launch yourself down the stainless steel and plexiglass park ride, you’re in for an absolute treat.
Opportunity District.
Chow down on the ‘perfect’ burger
Upon sampling Michelin-rated Davis Myers’ rendition of the classic American fast food The New York Times declared his burger unimprovable (quote:‘perfect’). To see if you agree with the hype, make your way to Adrift Burger Bar and order the sweet sauce-drizzled, aged Vermont cheddar-topped DM Burger (Dhs55).
Mobility District.
Climb a mountain (indoors)
The opportunity to hike the Alps doesn’t come about every day, which is why a trip to the Swiss Pavilion should absolutely not be missed off your ever-growing to-visit list. Here visitors have the unique opportunity to journey through a cloud of fog and mist, recreating the experience of summiting the famous mountain range. After all that excitement, it would only seem sensible to tuck into a bar of chocolate from premium Swiss chocolatiers Sprungli.
Opportunity District.
Hone your baking skills
So, you’ve devoured their next-level doughnuts, chomped away on more slices of pizza than you thought possible and salivated over their sourdough. But how will you feed that Bread Ahead addiction when they switch off their ovens for the final time at the end of March? The answer (thankfully) is simple: book into a Bakery School workshop now and learn how to recreate the magic at home.
Mobility District. View the class schedule and make a booking here: www.expo2020dubai.com/en/plan-your-visit/where-to-eat/bread-ahead-bakery-school
Taste your way around Africa
Of all the interesting eating opportunities at Expo 2020 (and there are many), taking a tasting tour of Alkebulan (the world’s first African dining hall), is certainly up there as one of the best.
Overseen by acclaimed chef, TV personality and opera-singer-turned restaurateur Alexander Smalls, Alkebulan showcases African food and culture in delicious fashion, inviting guests to explore the country’s rich history one bite at a time. Go hungry.
Jubilee Park. alkebulandininghall.com
Splash about in a giant ball pit
The huge, 100,000 ball strong ball pit in the Germany Pavilion is the stuff that little (and big) kid’s dreams are made of. The exhibit is educational and interactive, too: hold the balls up to a scanner and each one reveals a fact, tells a story or draws attention to a German sustainability champion.
Sustainability District.
Experience Jalsat Nights for the last time
The monthly Khaliji-led jam sessions known as Jalsat Nights and held at the open-air Jubilee Stage have been a show highlight from the start. Listen to local musicians and performers from different countries jamming together in harmonious unity for the final time on Tuesday March 15.
Mar 15, 8.30pm-10.30pm. Jubilee Stage.
Admire Dodecalis Luminarium
This colouful inflatable exhibition has just landed at Expo 2020, jettisoning its way to the top of many a to-see list. A well-travelled installation to say the least (it has been displayed in 43 countries and counting), Dodecalis Luminarium features three main domes connected by labyrinth-like tunnels which are illuminated by colourful lights.
Festival Garden
Contemplate Garden by Hamra Abbas
Part of the public arts programme assembled by curator Tarek Abou El Fetouh, Hamra Abbas’s marble floor structure is close to 1sqm in size and was assembled using a marble inlay technique indigenous to Lahore. The impressively intricate piece fuses printmaking and miniature painting techniques to depict a mix of historic Mughal gardens and Abbas’s personal memories.
Rock out to Coldplay
From the Black Eyed Peas to Alicia Keys, the incredible live-streamed gigs that have formed part of the Expo’s Infinite Night Series have delighted fans around the globe. The recent announcement that British band Coldplay will be taking to the Al Wasl Plaza stage on Tuesday March 15 has sent excitement levels sky rocketing, both for the performance itself and in anticipation over who the final, yet-to-be-revealed performers will be at the last show of the season in March. Keep your ears peeled.
Tickets for Coldplay will be available here from 9pm (Dubai time) on Saturday February 12.
Design your own aircraft
Yes, that’s right: pay the Emirates Pavilion a visit and you can build your own aeroplane. Using an ultra-haptic interface, aspiring aeronautical engineers can select key elements for their craft (engine, winds, range and the like) before running the design through an Emirates flight simulator to see how it would fare in real life.
Opportunity District
Watch the closing ceremony
If the spectacular, Andrea Bocelli-headlined curtain raiser was anything to go by (and my, wasn’t it incredible), the Expo 2020 closing show will be awesome. While it’s likely that only a select few will be lucky enough to view events unfold at the site (the opening show was VIP invite only, with 100 season ticket-holding raffle winners also in attendance), the extravaganza will be live streamed across various channels, including the Expo 2020 Dubai YouTube channel.
What else do you need to know about Expo 2020 Dubai?
Discounted passes are now available
Visit for the day for just Dhs45
Simply the coolest country pavilions
Make sure to pay these a visit
See Coldplay perform live for free
Book your tickets for the greatest gig now
