Farewell to Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, six months of unity in diversity and creativity

Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai drew to a close today, 13 October, marking the conclusion of the third World Expo organised in Japan. Themed "Designing Future Society for Our Lives" and gathering 165 countries and international organisations, the Expo welcomed over 28 million visitors during its six-month run.

The 184-day event concluded with an official closing ceremony in the Expo Hall - Shining Hat on Yumeshima Island, followed by a parade of flags and a celebratory farewell fireworks display before the site officially closed its gates at 10pm.

Held under the motto "For the Futures", the closing ceremony celebrated the creativity, unity in diversity and spirit of cooperation that defined Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. Conceived as both the closing of the Expo and as the dawn of a new beginning, the ceremony featured a 'symphony of the Expo' interpreted through music and dance performances, and a virtual flag parade paying tribute to international participants. In attendance were national and local authorities, Expo organisers and international participants, together with representatives of volunteers, civil society and the media and all those who contributed to the Expo's success.

His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akishino formally declared "I believe that it is of profound significance that the Expo has offered opportunities that have brought together large numbers of people here on Yumeshima to forge links and deepen mutual understanding and to ponder together solutions to the common issues that confront humanity. I hope that the world will continue "Designing Future Society for Our Lives.""

The ceremony also featured addresses by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, the Minister for the World Expo, Yoshitaka Ito, the President of the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Alain Berger, the Governor of Osaka Prefecture, Hirofumi Yoshimura, and the Secretary General of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, Hiroyuke Ishige.

The President of the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Alain Berger, declared: "Expo 2025 has invited the world to reflect on the future of humanity. Guided by a spirit of solidarity, innovation, and hope, it has highlighted the core priorities: health, the environment, human dignity, and shared progress. In a world confronted with global challenges, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai has stood as a symbol of resilience. It has shown that collective intelligence and international cooperation are our greatest strengths in the face of uncertainty."

As a symbolic handover to the future, the flag of the BIE and Expos was lowered and returned to the President of the BIE General Assembly and Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE. It was then entrusted to H.E. Eng. Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Sultan, Minister of State of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), representing Expo 2030 Riyadh, the next World Expo. Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade and Horticultural Expo 2027 Yokohama also symbolically received the flag of the BIE and Expos in a gesture of continuity.

Earlier that day, representatives of Japan, international participants and the BIE gathered for the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai Declaration forum, centered around the Expo's intellectual legacy. Reflecting the spirit of partnership and goodwill that characterised Expo 2025, the Organiser and International Participants appealed to continue fostering co-creation and shared decision-making in shaping a future society for all.

The Secretary General of the BIE Dimitri S. Kerkentzes indicated: "At a time when the world faces uncertainty, tensions and conflict, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai provided something rare and vital: a space for human interaction, for face-to-face diplomacy, for co-creation, and for the exploration of fundamental questions about our shared future. Within the Grand Ring, new threads of understanding were woven between people and nations, creating a common bond that will live on beyond the event".

The final hours of the Expo included a vibrant flag parade celebrating the unity and shared purpose of international participants, while an array of performances from around the globe charmed visitors across the site. The evening concluded with a celebratory fireworks display, illuminating Yumeshima Island one last time before the Expo site closed its gates at 10pm.

World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings of nations addressing universal challenges of our time. These unparalleled global events offer a journey inside a chosen theme through engaging and immersive activities. The next World Expo, Expo 2030 Riyadh, will take place between 1 October 2030 and 31 March 2031 under the theme "Foresight for Tomorrow".