A special ceremony and fireworks display will kick off tonight marking the opening of Expo 2020, a six-month fair that is expected to attract 1.8 million visitors.

The invite-only event will be broadcast live across more than 430 locations in the UAE, including shopping malls, hotels, airports and other landmarks, starting from 1930 GST.

Viewers from anywhere in the world can also join the opening ceremony through a global live stream, available on virtualexpo.world and Expo TV.

Expo 2020 will open its doors to the public on October 1, 2021 and will run until March 31, 2022. Some 30,000 visitors are expected to visit the site every month, making it the biggest in-person event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

Where to see the opening ceremony in UAE

Tonight’s ceremony can be viewed through the screens set up in more than 240 hotels, including Emaar’s Rove, Armani, Address Hotels & Resorts and Vida Hotels & Resorts, as well as Accor, Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Rotana, Jumeirah, Hyatt International and Atlantis The Palm.

At least 17 shopping malls operated by Majid Al Futtaim also have some screens set up to showcase the event, as well as City Walk, Nakheel Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall.

The streaming can also be viewed at 50 Jashanmal locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, 97 Mediclinics, Dubai and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Zabeel Ladies Club and Sharaf DG.

Viewings will likewise take 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.

On October 1, fireworks displays to celebrate the start of Expo 2020 are also scheduled to take place in some parts of Dubai, including Dubai Festival City, The Frame and The Pointe in Palm Jumeirah. The fireworks will kick off at 2020 GST.

source: zawya