Expo 2020 Dubai attracts over 6.3 million visitors so far
Shows, celebrations and Festive Pass pull crowds to mega event
Dubai: Expo 2020 Dubai has so far attracted 6,358,464 visits since its opening on October 1, steered by shows, sporting events, UAE National Day celebrations, and sustained demand for the Expo 2020 Festive Pass, organisers said on Monday.
US singer Alicia Keys saw crowds flocking to Al Wasl Plaza on December 10. With her new double album coinciding with her performance at Expo, the 15-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter chose Expo as the location to unveil her highly-anticipated new release because: “It just felt so perfect to launch Keys in Dubai. Expo 2020 Dubai knows no borders; it is envisioning a future we all want to create.”
The New Yorker’s fans around the world were able to hear her new music by logging on to view the concert at VirtualExpoDubai website, helping the platform’s total number of visits to hit the 30 million mark – up by 5 million in the past week alone.
Shows
Meanwhile Manchester City footballer Pablo Zabaleta paid a visit to Expo, sharing his interest in coaching and love for the Middle East; Indian singer Neha Kakkar regaled crowds at Jubilee Park on December 12 with a show; the Expo World Choir, featuring singers and musicians from 142 nationalities graced the Jubilee Stage; and popular Filipino artists Sponge Cola and Matthaios came together to tell their stories through music on December 8.
After nine games at this year’s FIDE World Championship, Magnus Carlsen secured the one point he needed to cross the seven-point threshold to win against challenger Ian ‘Nepo’ Nepomniachtchi at Dubai Exhibition Centrem at Exp. Georgia’s grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili, the inspiration behind the popular Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit, will partake in a panel discussion related to women’s empowerment challenges and achievements at the Dubai Exhibition Centre on Monday, followed by a game between the grandmasters and Dubai Culture and Chess Club members at Al Wasl Plaza in a choreographed show.
Upcoming events
Upcoming attractions include ‘Brainiac Live,’ set for Jubilee Park, with a science show on Wednesday, while the Jubilee stage will host on Thursday a mix of global musical talent; and Egyptian singer, rapper, actor, dancer and producer Mohammed Ramadan will perform a standalone concert on Jubilee Stage on December 18.
With Expo’s new Festive Pass unlocking unlimited access for Dh95, on sale now until the end of December, visit numbers are expected to keep going up.
Expo runs until March 31, 2022.