The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has today closed the candidature period forWorld Expo 2025. Four countries have submitted competing bids to organise World Expo 2025:France(in Greater Paris),Japan(in Osaka), theRussian Federation(in Yekaterinburg), andAzerbaijan(in Baku).

France’s bid is for a World Expo inGreater Parisbetween 1 May and 30 October 2025 under the theme “Sharing our Knowledge, Caring for Our Planet”.

Japan’s bid is for a World Expo inOsakabetween 3 May and 3 November 2025 under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.

The Russian Federation’s bid is for a World Expo inYekaterinburgbetween 2 May and 2 November 2025 under the theme “Changing the World: Inclusive Innovations – for Our Kids and Future Generations”.

Azerbaijan’s bid is for a World Expo inBakubetween 10 May and 10 November 2025 under the theme “Human Capital”.

The Secretary General of the BIE, Vicente G. Loscertales, stated: “the BIE welcomes these four bids, which demonstrate a strong interest in and enthusiasm for hosting World Expos across the globe. The project evaluation phase will now allow us to find out more about the vision of each candidate and how they aim to address the universal challenges of the 21st century.”

The project examination phase for World Expo 2025 will take place over the next year and a half. Each candidate will submit a bid dossier in September 2017, to be followed by a BIE Enquiry Mission in early 2018. Candidates will also present their Expo project during each General Assembly between now and the final vote. The election of the host country by the 170 Member States of the BIE will take place at the 164th General Assembly in November 2018.

World Expos, known officially as International Registered Exhibitions, are organised every five years. They can last up to six months, and international participants can build their own pavilions on the Expo site. The themes of World Expos are designed to raise awareness of and find responses to universal challenges of our time. The most recent World Expo was held in the city of Milan, Italy, in 2015, under the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. Thenext World Expo will take place in Dubai(UAE) between 20 October 2020 and 10 April 2021 under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.