Global music stars including US artists Christina Aguilera and Norah Jones will perform at the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday.
Organisers on Saturday revealed more about the eagerly anticipated event and said children will lead the way as the curtain comes down on the six-month event.
Aguilera, Jones and American cellist Yo-Yo Ma will lead the line-up, while hundreds of children will be in the audience beneath the Al Wasl dome.
The concerts are free to attend for anyone with an Expo ticket and entry is on a first come first served basis, organisers said.
The world's fair baton will also be passed from Dubai to Expo 2025 Osaka.
Performances from the stars
Aguilera, Jones and Ma will perform on the night and on 20-plus giant screens across the site, including the main stages, Festival Garden and country pavilions.
The evening will begin at 7pm with Mira Singh, the girl who stole the show during the opening ceremony, taking the audience on another journey.
Hundreds of children from across the UAE are to witness the wonders as the country looks to the next 50 years, having celebrated its Golden Jubilee during Expo 2020 Dubai.
Later in the evening, Grammy-winner Ma will play a concert at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre from 8.45pm. The celebrated Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and pianist Jones will entertain visitors with her own concert on the Jubilee Stage from 9pm, and singer Aguilera will present an extended performance on the Jubilee Stage from 10.45pm.
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Christina Aguilera, wearing a green crop top and green pleather trousers, poses for a portrait in Universal City, California in June 1998. Getty Images -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a leopard-print camisole and jacket, arrives at the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards in New York City on September 9, 1999. ImageDirect -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a tasselled Las Vegas crop top, arrives at the Billboard Music Awards show at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on December 8, 1999. FSP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a green crop top and red snake-skin trousers, performs during the 27th Annual American Music Awards on January 17, 2000 in Los Angeles. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, in a gold two-piece, attends the BMG Entertainment party in Hollywood following the Grammy Awards on February 24, 2000 in Los Angeles. FSP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a red vest and black leather skirt with boots, and Enrique Iglesias perform at the half time show during the Super Bowl on January 30, 2000. JLS -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a silver column dress, attends the American Latino Media Arts Awards in Pasadena, California on April 16, 2000. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a red lace dress, arrives at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 21, 2001. Getty Images -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a shredded velvet dress, arrives at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in Los Angeles on April 10, 2001. FSP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a shredded top and cargo pants, attends a photocall ahead of the 30th Annual American Music Awards, in Los Angeles on January 13, 2003. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black semi-sheer dress, arrives at the 30th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles on January 13, 2003. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a pink feathered Roberto Cavalli feather dress, arrives at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 28, 2003 in New York City. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a white layered Carlos Miele gown, at the NRJ Music Awards in Calais, France on January 24, 2004. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing an embellished lace lavender Atelier Versace dress, arrives at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a corset-style dress, attends the 13th Annual Music Video Production Association Awards on May 20, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a golden flapper-style Roberto Cavalli dress, arrives at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards on August 29, 2004 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a blue Monique Lhuillier prom dress, arrives at the 13th Annual Elton John Aids Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party on February 27, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black vest and red trousers, poses backstage during MTV's Total Request Live at the MTV Times Square Studios in New York on June 21, 2006. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a open collar suit and black tie, attends the Mac Viva Glam VI dinner on September 6, 2006 in New York City. Getty Images -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a white Valentino gown with a black bow, arrives at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a green Vanitas silk dress, attends the launch of Rock The Vote 2008 on November 13, 2007. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, in a black belted mini dress, attends a Rock The Vote party on September 25, 2008 in Los Angeles. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a patterned top and black trousers, arrives at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi on October 23, 2008. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a white jumpsuit with gold accessories, performs at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2008. Stephen Lock / The National -
Cher and Christina Aguilera, wearing a blush pink Versace gown, attend the 67th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 2010. EPA -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a green Elie Saab gown, arrives at the premiere of 'Burlesque' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 15, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black blazer over a jacket and trousers, performs the national anthem ahead of the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas on February 6, 2011. PA -
Christina Aguilera, in a pink Dolce & Gabbana lace tube dress, arrives at a 'The Voice' event on March 15, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a monochrome outfit, attends a 'The Voice' reception on August 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, in a purple Alexander Wang body con dress, attends the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards nominations press conference on October 9, 2012 in Los Angeles. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a purple ombre Pamella Roland dress, attends the 40th American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black Victoria Beckham silk dress, attends the Time 100 Gala on April 23, 2013 in New York. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black semi-sheer gown, at 102.7 KIIS FM on May 10, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing an earth-print white Marc Bouwer gown, attends the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on February 22, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing leggings and a band T-shirt, arrives at NBC's 'The Voice' season eight event on April 23, 2015 in West Hollywood. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a blue top over a Alexander McQueen jersey dress, raises awareness about domestic violence with Verizon's HopeLine Programme on November 12, 2015 in West Hollywood, California. AFP -
Matthew Rutler and Christina Aguilera, wearing a black Emanuel Ungaro jumpsuit, attends the 5th Annual Baby2Baby Gala on November 12, 2016 in California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a striped Saint Laurent T-shirt and flower emblazoned trousers with a High Heels Suicide jacket, attends the premiere of 'The Emoji Movie' on July 23, 2017 in California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a white feathered dress, attends Harper's Bazaar's 'Icons By Carine Roitfeld' celebration on September 7, 2018 in New York City. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a red leather coat over a skirt and top, poses backstage at the Christian Cowan Show during New York Fashion Week on September 8, 2018. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black tulle and sequinned Nicolas Jebran look, attends the 2019 amfAR Gala Los Angeles on October 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a white embellished hooded Jean Paul Gaultier dress, attends the 2019 American Music Awards on November 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a red and pink gown Galia Lahav, attends the premiere of 'Mulan' in Hollywood on March 9, 2020. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black leather Helmut Lang trench coat over trousers, attends the MasterClass First Look Event at The Whitney Museum of American Art on November 10, 2021 in New York City. AFP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black full-sleeved latex dress, appears at the 22nd annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on November 18, 2021. AP -
AHF President, Michael Weinstein and Christina Aguilera, wearing a Balmain star-print blazer over leather trousers, attend the at the Aids Healthcare Foundation's concert marking World Aids Day in Inglewood, California on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. AP -
Christina Aguilera, wearing a black pleather set with Hanut Singh earrings and Le Vian diamond rings, attends the Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 2, 2022. Reuters
The show in statistics
The cast of the closing ceremony includes more than 400 professionals and volunteers from 56 countries, with 745 costumes created for the culmination of Expo 2020 Dubai.
Forty members of a UAE-based children’s choir will perform Ishy Bilady, the National Anthem of the UAE, joined by the all-women Firdaus Orchestra, conducted by Yasmina Sabbah.
The ceremony will be streamed live on Virtual Expo and Expo TV. It will remind audiences of some of Al Wasl Plaza’s great moments, including calligraphy poetry in the sky from Emirati poetess Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi; the falcon from immersive theatrical show Journey of the 50th, which was presented during the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, and the incredible horse from The Boy and The Horse – a tribute to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
The show also looks to the future. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai will participate in a ceremony that hands the baton over to Osaka in Japan for the next Expo in 2025.
The celebrations will continue throughout the night, with fireworks displays at midnight and 3am.
Coldplay perform at Expo 2020 Dubai - in pictures
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Coldplay performs at Expo 2020 Dubai on February 15. All photos: Reuters, unless noted otherwise -
Chris Martin and crew rocked Al Wasl Dome as part of the Infinite Nights concert series. -
Kicking off the gig right on time at 9pm, Coldplay launched directly into 'Higher Power', the uplifting hit from their ninth and latest album 'Music of the Spheres'. -
As part of the concert, the 'sky' of Al Wasl Dome also teemed with butterflies, rainbows and oversized BTS holograms. -
Al Wasl Dome came alive with laser projections and holograms as part of the concert. -
Chris Martin went around the circular stage a number of times, greeting the audience. -
Despite the smaller crowd, Chris Martin’s energy was infectious as he stomped back and forth between the centre stage and the outer circles. -
Chris Martin of the band Coldplay performs at Expo 2020 Dubai. -
Coldplay played several hits including 'Paradise' — performed under a kaleidoscope of butterflies and rainbows. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Chris Martin takes a seat at the piano to croon along to a song. -
Chris Martin was at his best, traipsing around the stage and pulling electrifying poses as he swung his arms and pointed his fingers. -
Guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion provided a solid support team to lead vocalist Chris Martin for the night. -
With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are one of the most successful bands of the 21st century and one of the bestselling music acts of all time. -
Typically found headlining stadiums around the world with upwards of 100,000 fans, it was a rather intimate affair at Expo 2020 Dubai. -
Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland of Coldplay perform at Expo 2020 Dubai.
