Superstars to open Expo 2020 Dubai with 'big bang'

Global and regional talent includes Andrea Bocelli, Andra Day, Ellie Goulding, Mohamed Abdo and Ahlam Alshamsi

Organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai have announced the line-up for the opening ceremony of the event. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will headline. EPA / Jero Morales

Golden Globe-winning actress, singer and songwriter Andra Day will perform on the Al Wasl Plaza stage. Reuters

Platinum selling British pop-star Ellie Goulding will fly out for the event. Victor Besa / The National.

Chinese pianist Lang Lang will play in the 90-minute ceremony. Reuters

Four-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo will appear in the first performance in the massive Al Wasl Plaza.

Saudi singer ‘Artist of Arabs’ Mohamed Abdu is also booked to perform. AP Photo / Amr Nabil

Another regional performer set to star is Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi. Photo: Dubai Summer Surprises

Mayssa Karaa, a Lebanese vocalist and songwriter is one of the female vocalists booked to sing on the night of September 30. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

The event has been choreographed by Scott Givens, executive producer and CEO of FiveCurrents. Walaa Ahmed / Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai is due to open to the public on 1 October for six months.

WATCH LIVE NOW: Expo 2020 Dubai opening ceremony

World-famous classical, popular and regional musicians have been signed up to star at the opening ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Opera singer Andrea Bocelli, Golden Globe-winning actress, singer and songwriter Andra Day, platinum-selling British pop star Ellie Goulding, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and four-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo will help to light up the event at Al Wasl Plaza.

An invited audience will also watch performances by regional artists including the ‘Artist of Arabs’ Mohamed Abdu, much-loved Emirati singing sensation Ahlam Alshamsi and Emirati artist and Expo 2020 Dubai ambassador Hussain Al Jassmi, a trendsetter on the Khaleeji music scene in the Middle East.

Rising UAE singer-songwriter Almas and Grammy-nominated Lebanese-American singer Mayssa Karaa also feature on the line-up announced so far.

TV audiences around the world are promised a visually striking light and dance show, on a similar scale to the opening of the Olympic Games, with elements from the creative minds behind Cirque du Soleil.

The event has been choreographed by Scott Givens, executive producer and chief executive of FiveCurrents, whose credits include 62 global events and more Olympic ceremonies than any other producer.

Tareq Ghosheh, chief event and entertainment officer for Expo 2020 Dubai, described the event, which will take place on Thursday, September 30, as a "big bang".

“As the global spotlight shines on the UAE, this incredible, unforgettable evening will celebrate the collaborative, creative and optimistic spirit of Expo 2020, demonstrating our commitment to hosting a mega-event that will delight the world," he said.

“Combining some of the most sought-after names in the world of music, live events and entertainment with the awe-inspiring, world-first technologies of the iconic Al Wasl Plaza, this is the ‘big bang’ that sets the scene for 182 days of visually striking and emotionally inspiring experiences, as we invite visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world.”

The opening show will draw inspiration from Expo’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, and its sub-themes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability, and present the values of the UAE to the watching world.

It will be staged in Al Wasl Plaza, a vast, circular theatre which will house the largest immersive sound installation in the world and the world’s largest blended video projection installation.

Choreographers are placing the audience at the centre of the event and the revolving stage, light shows and immersive technology will come to life around them.

Organisers published a preview of the 90-minute ceremony, featuring hundreds of colourfully costumed performers over a weekend.

The 90-minute performance will set the scene for the six-month world fair with the show to be broadcast live on Expo TV, Virtual Expo and TV stations around the world.

Expo 2020 Dubai will open to the public on October 1 and run for six months until the end of March.

Take a look at the water feature at Expo 2020 Dubai