About Expo
World Expos
World exhibitions, which first emerged in 1851 as ‘World Fairs’ play an important role in bringing the world together at regular intervals to gaze into the future of industry, technology, and material progress.
World Fairs hosted the first demonstration of a telephone and the first live television broadcast. They have produced iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and The Crystal Palace in London. The governing body for World Expos is The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), headquartered in Paris.
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai
This will be Japan’s third time hosting the World Expo. 2025 marks the return of the World Expo to the city of Osaka and the Kansai region for a second time, after 55 years.
In 1970, more than 64 million people attended the first World Expo to be held in Osaka, and the event holds a fond place in the memory of many Japanese people, from Kansai and beyond. Since then, the event has also been hosted in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture.
An expected 160 countries and international organisations will participate in Expo 2025. Over the six months of Expo, millions of people from around the world will visit Osaka to absorb and participate in diverse experiences from around the world.
Expo 2025 is taking place across a dedicated 155-hectare site on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. The site is surrounded by an elevated circular walkway, the Grand Roof, which symbolises unity. Inside the ring of the Grand Roof, the site is made up of three thematic districts and includes exhibition, performance and conference facilities.
Osaka and Kansai’s theme for Expo 2025 is ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’, with three sub-themes of Connecting Lives, Empowering Lives and Saving Lives.
Each sub-theme is associated with a district of the Expo site. Ireland’s pavilion is located in the Empowering Lives district, where we will demonstrate the potential that creativity has to empower people to solve global challenges and live full lives.
This promises to be a World Expo that encourages people to engage in thoughtful discussion about the kind of society in which they wish to live, by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world.
Theme Weeks
Throughout the course of Expo, designated Theme Weeks will provide a focal point for dialogue, discussion and knowledge-sharing around particular universal issues.
The eight Theme Weeks are:
- Co-Creating Cultures for the Future Week (25 April – 06 May)
- Future of Community and Mobility Week (15 – 26 May)
- Necessities of Life: Food, Clothing, Shelter Week (05 – 16 June)
- Health and wellbeing Week (20 June – 01 July)
- Learning and playing Week (17 – 28 July)
- Peace, Human security, Dignity Week (01 – 12 August)
- The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week (17 – 28 September)
- SDGs+beyond Future Society for Life Week (02 – 12 October)
Signature projects
Japan’s ‘Master Plan’ for Expo 2025 also includes eight Signature Projects which are core to the philosophy and objectives of the event. These projects will be held in Signature Pavilions and will feature a series of curated events and activities. Directed by eight Japanese producers from various fields, the experiences offered by the Signature Projects will serve as an opportunity for people to explore life and practice creativity.
Signature projects
Japan’s ‘Master Plan’ for Expo 2025 also includes eight Signature Projects which are core to the philosophy and objectives of the event.
These projects will be held in Signature Pavilions and will feature a series of curated events and activities. Directed by eight Japanese producers from various fields, the experiences offered by the Signature Projects will serve as an opportunity for people to explore life and practice creativity.