World's Fairs still exist, but they have declined in prominence due to prohibitive hosting costs, the rise of specialized industry trade shows, and the internet making information instantly accessible. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) now regulates these, typically scheduling major Expos every five years rather than annually.
The World Expo (sometimes referred to as the world's fair) will be held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan in 2025. It will be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025 at Yumeshima Island and is projected to welcome 28.2 million visitors.
Most recent World's Fairs. More than 60 World's Fairs have taken place to date, the most recent ones in Aichi/Japan 2005, Zaragoza/Spain 2008, Shanghai/PRC 2010, Yeosu/South Korea 2012, Milan/Italy 2015, Astana/Kazakhstan 2017 and Dubai 2020.
Event organizers retired the term world's fair in favor of Expo, a term already popular in French language and used as far back as the Brussels World Fair in 1958.
However, after only three years, the hotel and casino were closed permanently on October 3, 1999, and the building was demolished in 2000. The land was sold at auction to Bruce Toll of Toll Brothers.
What happened to world's fairs? Why you don't hear about world expos in America
Why did we stop World Fairs?
In recent decades, they have become less frequent due to increasingly strict regulations from the Bureau International de Expositions (BIE) and a waning public interest in them. The rise and fall of World's Fairs happened over the course of just a few centuries and are more complicated than you might think.
The next World Expo, Expo 2030 Riyadh, will take place in Saudi Arabia between 1 October 2030 and 31 March 2031 under the theme "Foresight for Tomorrow".
Expo 2027 (Serbian: ЕКСПО 2027 / EKSPO 2027) is the working title for a BIE recognised specialised exposition to be held in 2027 in Belgrade, Serbia. It is scheduled to begin on 15 May 2027 and close on 15 August 2027. This will be the first world exposition to be held in the former Yugoslavia.
How much did it cost to get into the 1964 World's fair?
Visitors 13 and older were originally charged the adult admission price of $2.00 (equivalent to $20.28 in 2024), while children 2–12 years old were charged $1.00 (equivalent to $10.14 in 2024).
“Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe” was the theme of the 1964 World's Fair and the New York State Pavilion embodied that theme in the modern design of its buildings. One of those buildings that still stands today is The Tent of Tomorrow, designed by noted architect Philip Johnson.
The 1893 Chicago World's Fair was amazing and one of the most important in history, but it almost didn't happen. When it opened, the now long-gone “White City,” as the grounds were called, thrilled people from all over the country and beyond.
Although 7 million guests toured the fair, it was not enough to recoup the $350 million spent to host the event. Paychecks started bouncing, and it was only through government intervention that the gates remained open through the scheduled run. The fair drew 30,000 fewer people in the first month than was predicted.
Since the mid-19th century more than 100 world's fairs have been held in more than 20 countries throughout the world. Generally speaking, these events are called world's fairs in the United States, international (or universal) expositions in continental Europe and Asia, and exhibitions in Great Britain.
Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available. Thomas M.
Expo 2025 (2025年日本国際博覧会, Nisennijūgo-nen Nippon Kokusai Hakurankai; and officially 大阪・関西万博, Ōsaka–Kansai Banpaku for short) was a World Expo organized and sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which was held in Osaka, Japan. It was open for six months, from 13 April to 13 October 2025.
Held from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031, Expo 2030 Riyadh is expected to welcome over 42 million visits. The year 2030 marks a pivotal moment for the world – the culmination of global agendas like the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
Expo 2028 Phuket Thailand will advocate innovative and collaborative solutions towards a sustainable and equitable future by 2030 and beyond, under the theme "Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity", focusing on People, Planet and Prosperity.
The 1893 Fair ended on October 30, 1893, after the assassination of popular Chicago mayor Carter Henry Harrison, Sr., and without the planned closing ceremonies. The site was to be turned over to the South Parks Commission to be transformed back into usable parkland.
Spanning 646 acres in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, New York, the event was considered a pinnacle of mid-20th-century American culture and technology. It showcased products that would advance the transportation and consumer electronics markets in a way that would never be repeated at future World's Fairs.
We're All Going to the World's Fair is a 2021 American coming-of-age psychological horror film written, directed, and edited by Jane Schoenbrun in their narrative feature directorial debut. The film stars Michael J. Rogers and Anna Cobb in her feature film debut. David Lowery served as an executive producer.
Trump completed the project using junk bonds, a decision that hurt the company afterward as the gambling industry struggled in a recession and interest rates became unmanageable.
The net worth of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, is not publicly known. For decades, Forbes has assessed his wealth, currently estimating it at $5.1 billion as of early June 2025. Meanwhile, Bloomberg estimated his wealth at $7.08 billion in January 2025.
