Expo 2020 Dubai transforms into big party as night falls

As night falls on Expo 2020 Dubai, everything is just getting more fantastic. The cool breeze caresses the faces of visitors, healing them from a day of fatigue and breathing refreshing joviality into them.

People sit in outdoor cafes or restaurants, enjoying authentic food from China, Japan, Lebanon, France, and Morocco. The air smells of popcorn, ice cream, Columbian coffee, and hotdogs.

The sound is pleasant too. Whether you are walking on the main avenues or wandering in alleys, you can always hear kids laughing, crickets chanting, and people exclaiming in awe.

And, of course, there is music. For every two or three pavilions you pass by, you can find art performances outside the gate. The artists are singing, making acrobatic performances, or just sitting there playing guitars or ouds while the visitors applaud and cheer.

But what really makes the Expo fantastic at night is the light.

At the China Pavilion, a special light show powered by China's advanced technologies in drone manufacturing and the BeiDou navigation satellite system, is one of the most-watched performances at the Expo.

The roof of the Iraq Pavilion, which represents the ancient Mesopotamian civilization's fishing tradition, is lit up and transforms into a gleaming, fluid curve that comes to life.

The colorful facade of the Russia Pavilion has been brought to the next level as the daylight wanes. The shining, colorful, and enticing curves of the pavilion have become "surreal" when the lights are turned on.

Almost every pavilion has designed special light displays that make the facades more enthralling and dreamlike.

"I especially love the night. All the lights and activities make me feel more like a carnival," said Inga Vasilieva, a Russian visitor. "I feel like I'm inside Disneyland now, and even cooler."

At Al Wasl Plaza, the center of the Expo site, a gigantic dome has been put up. Every night, the dome becomes a 360 degree, 25,380 square meters projection surface.

On the screen, everything has become larger-than-life and brings overwhelming emotions to the people standing under the dome. Inside the garden of the plaza, people are just lying on the ground and watching the dome's display. Children are running around, exclaiming excitedly every now and then.

Strolling inside the Expo at night is like walking into a great party, which almost makes you forget about the COVID-19 pandemic, except for the part where the security men are reminding everyone to properly wear their masks.

Everyone who enters the Expo is required to present a recent PCR negative result. Other social distance regulations are also enforced here. Despite the recent hike in COVID-19 cases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Expo remains a high turnout as winter is the peak tourist season for Dubai.

According to official data, Expo 2020 Dubai recorded 8,958,132 visits from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021.

"I think we can have a normal life, or at least what is close to one, if we can be careful enough," said Ahmed Latif, a UAE visitor said.