Four places where you can beat the heat at Expo 2020 Dubai

From free water refills to wading through the water at the Brazil pavilion, here’s how to stay cool at the world's fair

Cheetah mascots at the Brazil Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photos by Pawan Singh / The National

Visitors dip their feet in the water at the Brazil Pavilion.

Visitors enjoying the sea of fog inside the Switzerland Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Aquafina drop building is covered with 41,000 recyclable cans at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Visitors enjoy the Expo 2020 Water Feature area.

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If you’ve ventured to Expo 2020 Dubai, there is a good chance you’ve worked up a sweat by clocking up thousands of steps.

Visitors can make their way through its three pavilion districts as well as parks and avenues full of restaurants and seating.

Vast areas of the 438-hectare site are shaded to offer a break from heat and humidity, but moving around can be taxing when the sun is out.

With visitors in mind, the Expo team has ensured there are plenty of ways to stay cool when touring the site.

Brazil pavilion in the Sustainability district

It’s hard to miss the main feature on show at the Brazil pavilion. As soon as you walk through the entrance, you will see the large pool of water in the centre. Visitors are invited to wade through, so kick off your shoes and get your feet wet.

The interactive water feature is intended to represent the Rio Negro, one of the Amazon River’s tributaries. The floor beneath the water is black and made of stones known as pedra portuguesa, produced in southern Brazil.

At night, the four walls surrounding the pool of water light up as images, such as waterfalls, synonymous with the country are projected on to huge screens.

Switzerland pavilion in the Opportunity district

Visitors enjoying the fog inside the Switzerland Pavilion. Pawan Singh / The National

The Swiss pavilion is another great spot in which to keep cool. Like Brazil’s pavilion, the building has an interactive water feature.

Visitors can go on a hike through a sea of fog that gives way to a sound and light show, reproducing the passage from day to night over the Swiss Alps. The feature was inspired by a common phenomenon that occurs in Switzerland in the autumn

When visitors first approach the pavilion, they will see a large mirror facade and a red carpet before walking into the fog. Although those with longer locks may leave with a hint of frizz, it’s the perfect way to chill during your visit to the world’s fair.

Aquafina Drop in the Sustainability district

View of the Aquafina DROP outlet where visitors can refill their water bottles at the EXPO 2020 site in Dubai on 3 October, 2021. Pawan Singh/The National. Story by Kelly

This building is hard to miss. Sited in the Sustainability district, its facade is coated with 41,000 recyclable cans. Though humble in size, the Aquafina Drop is well worth knowing about. If you enter the building with your own water bottle, you can refill it free of charge. If straight-up H20 doesn’t take your fancy, four flavoured waters are also on offer: strawberry, lime, peach and raspberry-lime.

The air conditioning adds to the chill-out experience.

Expo 2020 water feature and free refill stations

Visitors enjoy the Expo 2020 Water Feature. Photo: Victor Besa / The National.

Sited between Al Wasl Plaza and Jubilee Park, the Expo 2020 Water Feature combines the elements of earth, water, air and fire in a way that will surprise and delight the senses.

During the day, sheets of water cascade down the 13-metre walls of the feature, which loosely resembles a giant bowl with the bottom cut out.

Visitors can test their might by running vertically against the stream, and by night, the water defies gravity by flowing up the brightly lit walls. This area is not to be missed.

Water stations are dotted about the site, so visitors can stay hydrated by refilling their bottles free of charge.