Goodbye Expo Osaka
That’s a wrap on Expo 2025 Osaka - six months on the world stage, delivered seamlessly across multiple time zones
Congratulations to everybody who helped us make the UK Pavilion a meeting place for business, innovation, culture, and connection.
We staged flagship moments; like the show-stopping UK National Day festival - Scottish pipers and Japanese drummers in cultural collaboration - pop music and orchestral symphony.
Big thanks to the Japanese public who turned out. Official numbers show nearly 1.8m people visited us on the UK Pavilion.
Our public exhibitions saw thousands of visitors a day, and our private events were packed. In the UK, you expect up to 30% drop out on RSVPs. Not in Japan - when people say they’ll attend, they attend.
We delivered over 60 events with a small on-the-ground team, supported – at eight-hours remove - by UK colleagues on a ‘follow-the-sun’ rhythm. As one crew signed off, the other picked up. It was seamless.
They overcame last minute hurdles to bring the iconic prints of Liberty London to life with a special exhibition in the Pavilion, and wowed crowds with the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s spellbinding collaboration of dance and still image.
Blur bassist rockstar turned cheesemonger Alex James joined us to promote UK culinary excellence at the Festival of Flavours, and a Royal Day visit helped us spotlight sustainability, innovation, youth and women’s equality.
Our specially designed retail space celebrated over 25 renowned British brands, like Liberty and Burleigh Pottery.
And we celebrated Shaun the Sheep’s 30th birthday and witnessed Paddington Bear eating marmalade sandwiches.
Iconic.
Senior Event Manager Emily Tolley travelled from Bristol to Osaka six-months ago (with a brief return to attend Glastonbury). What wisdom will she bring back from Japan?
“The respect,” she says. “Respect for colleagues, respect for suppliers, respect for their work and their surroundings and their country. You really feel it wherever you go and it’s something we can all take inspiration from.”
