Expo 2020- Opening Ceremony kicks off last week

By: Natalie Shomali, Staff Reporter, The Pawprint

The opening of the World Expo, hosted in Dubai, took place on Thursday (September 30), consisting of wild lights, music and messages about the impact of global collaboration for a more sustainable future. This event was live streamed on YouTube and it can be watched back. 

Many global stars performed music in the ceremony, including Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie Goulding,  Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu, and Chinese pianist Lang Lang.

The ceremony also included an Indo-Belarusian expat student in Dubai named Mira Singh who was given the role of a young girl in the performance, creating the heart of the show.

Originally, the celebration was scheduled for last October 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Expo 2020 will finally open the doors on Friday to its exhibitors from almost 200 different countries. 

The Gulf state has recently relaxed  its coronavirus restrictions, but the event still requires masks to be worn and visitors over 18 to be vaccinated or have tested negative for the virus.