Expo 2020 Dubai invites the world to ring in 2022 in electrifying style

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Expo 2020 Dubai invites the world to ring in 2022 in electrifying style, with round-the-clock entertainment featuring a slate of world-class DJs, two stunning fireworks displays and a midnight ‘ball drop’ at Al Wasl Plaza, held against a backdrop of extensive safety measures that will ensure an unforgettable New Year’s Eve.

Aligned with numerous global time zones across 13 hours of festivities, Expo’s site-wide New Year’s celebrations will begin on Friday and last until  following morning. Standout must-sees include DJ star Dimitri Vegas, who is set to thrill crowds at Expo’s Jubilee Park from 2330 GST in what will be an unmissable celebration for the senses, and a spectacular set at 0130 from Armin Van Buuren, one of the world’s biggest DJs and producers in electronic music.

Numerous Arab, Filipino and Indian DJs will feature throughout the evening too, with a midnight ‘ball drop’ moment at Al Wasl Plaza, two separate fireworks displays at midnight and 0300, as well as celebrations across many of Expo’s 192 Country pavilions - all heralding 2022 in show-stopping style.

More than 70 restaurants and 120-plus food concepts, including food trucks, food halls, restaurants, bars, kiosks and never-before-seen concepts by international chefs, will also be to hand on New Year’s Eve.

The newly-opened Festival Garden in Expo’s Jubilee Park, featuring communal seating, a main stage, food trucks, kiosks and carts, offers a the perfect place to enjoy music and entertainment for the entire family, while a variety of exclusive restaurants across Expo will offer set menus, DJ performances and entertainment throughout New Year’s Eve, a full list of which can be found here.

Effortlessly connecting Expo 2020 to the city of Dubai, Dubai Metro will also run continuously throughout New Year’s Eve, ensuring every visitor to Expo can enjoy the bevy of world-class experiences on offer.

Tareq Ghosheh, Chief Events and Entertainment Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Celebrated by every country in the world, New Year’s Eve is a unique moment in time - celebrations made ever more poignant over these past two years as we address the pandemic together. As we continue to safely host 192 nations over 182 days, as the largest event ever held in the Arab world, we are thrilled to host a spectacular celebration of top class entertainment and activations, welcoming 2022 with open arms and renewed optimism for a brighter future.”

The largest major global event to be held since the start of the pandemic, Expo’s latest COVID-19 measures include the expansion of the number of on-site PCR testing facilities to four, and free testing for all Country Pavilion staff. While all frontline workers and entertainers continue to be tested on a regular basis, some close contact events, such as parades and roving entertainers, have been temporarily suspended as a short-term precautionary measure.

With more than 90 per cent of the UAE population fully vaccinated, Expo 2020 Dubai has required mandatory vaccination and boosters of all Expo and International Participant staff, volunteers, contractors and service providers.

Visitors ages 18 and above are required to present proof of any vaccination or a negative PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours. In addition, Expo 2020 maintains on site sanitisation stations and mandatory face masks both indoors and outdoors.

Panasonic:  A wide range of Panasonic projectors and optional lenses support the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai immersing its visitors into the theme of “Where ideas meet.” 20,000lm PT-RZ21K, 10,000lm PT-RCQ10, and 6,000lm PT-VMZ60 projectors are used in various scenes from Encountering Japan, Culture and History to Issues and Innovation. Panasonic’s unique fisheye lens, ET-D3LEF70 projects images of Earth onto a large sphere for a captivating spatial performance, embodying the theme of “Where ideas meet,” and how new ideas are born as people come together. The ultra-short throw zoom lens ET-DLE020 projects from floor to ceiling, covering every inch of the available surface and allowing the visitors to approach the content without casting any shadows.

In addition to creating a fully immersive experience, Panasonic supports the daily operation by monitoring devices remotely. The AW-UN70, Panasonic 4K PTZ camera sends live footage of the displayed image to ensure that the show continues without any device troubles. Panasonic monitoring ensures failsafe operation, prevents downtime, and guarantees that the show goes on.

The pavilion also offers a walk-through of Japanese history and culture in a dreamy floating environment created by Panasonic’s unique and innovative Green AC Flex Mist concept, which creates a dreamy setting for the Japan Pavilion visitors. The technology produces ‘Silky Fine Mist’ that is light and can drift away easily, perfectly synchronizing with the projection mapping. In comparison to regular smoke which uses a special agent, the mist is harmless and has less impact on buildings and equipment, so there are possibilities for the solution to be used as an inventive performance tool.

The Green AC Flex features a unique two-fluid mist nozzle developed by Panasonic that creates an ultra-fine mist, which is easily evaporated, and thus does not feel wet to the touch even when in direct contact. The light dispersed by the mist and the coolness from the evaporating mist creates an immersive sensation to the ambience. For entertainment and interactive events, the mist allows spectators to be visually and auditorily shut off from the outside world.

“Panasonic has enhanced the global environment-friendly outdoor heat countermeasure mist technology as a new technology for space production. By combining it with our own products such as projectors, audio equipment, and lighting devices, and directing the most suitable video software, we will develop it into a space value proposal business that only we can do, and with Dubai Expo 2020 as an opportunity, we will widely appeal it to people all over the world, commented Takeshi Ogata, Director, Business Development Center, Panasonic Corporation.

Visitors can witness Panasonic bringing a truly immersive projection mapping with integrated installation creating a 360-degree theatre using cutting-edge data technology.

“Our ground-breaking technologies offer endless creative possibilities. What we are showcasing at Japan Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai is a living example of it where you enter a misty magical world made possible by Panasonic solutions for projection mapping. This immersive sensory experience is achieved with a combination of Panasonic’s high-performance projectors, unique lens options and silky fine mist produced by Panasonic Green AC. The solution is ideal for location-based entertainment venues like Expo to attract the crowds with exciting new immersive experiences, and for production companies to create innovative new video advertising and marketing campaigns,” said Hidetoshi Kaneko, Director and Division Head - System Solutions and Communications Division, Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa.

In addition to the Japan pavilion, Panasonic projectors are used in more than 20 pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai.