This is a chronological list of international or colonial world's fairs.

1790s

  • 1791 – Prague, Bohemia – first industrial exhibition on the occasion of the coronation of Leopold II as king of Bohemia, took place in Clementinum, a site of considerable sophistication of manufacturing methods. For this occasion, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his final opera La clemenza di Tito.
  • 1798 – Paris, France – L'Exposition des produits de l'industrie française, Paris, 1798. This was the first public industrial exposition in France although earlier in 1798 the Marquis d'Avèze had held a private exposition of handicrafts and manufactured goods at the Maison d'Orsay in the Rue de Varenne and it was this that suggested the idea of a public exposition to Nicolas François de Neufchâteau, Minister of the Interior for the French Republic.

1800s

  • 1801 – Paris, France – Second Exposition (1801). After the success of the exposition of 1798 a series of expositions for French manufacturing followed (1801, 1802, 1806, 1819, 1823, 1827, 1834, 1844 and 1849) until the first properly international (or universal) exposition in France in 1855.
  • 1802 – Paris, France – Third Exposition (1802)

1830s

  • 1832 – Turin, Piedmont-Sardinia – Seconda Triennale Pubblica Esposizione dell’anno 1832.
  • 1834 – Paris, France – French Industrial Exposition of 1834
  • 1839 – Paris, France – Ninth Exposition (1839)

1840s

  • 1844 – Paris, France – French Industrial (Tenth) Exposition of 1844
  • 1846 – Genoa, Piedmont-Sardinia – Esposizione dei Prodotti e delle Manufatture nazionali
  • 1849 – Birmingham, United Kingdom – Exhibition of Industrial Arts and Manufacturers
  • 1849 – London, United Kingdom – First Exhibition of British Manufacturers (1849)
  • 1849 – Paris, France – Eleventh Exposition (1849)
  • 1851 – London, United Kingdom – The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations – The Crystal Palace (typically listed as the "first world's fair")
  • 1852 – Cork, Ireland – Irish Industrial Exhibition
  • 1853 – Naples, Two Sicilies – Solenne Pubblica Esposizione di Arti e Manifatture
  • 1853–1854 – New York City, United States – Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations
  • 1854 – Munich, Bavaria – General German Industrial Exhibition (Allgemeine deutsche Industrie-Ausstellung)
  • 1854 – Melbourne, Victoria – Melbourne Exhibition (in conjunction with Exposition Universelle (1855))
  • 1857 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Art Treasures Exhibition at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Stretford
  • 1858 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States – Philadelphia Technological Exhibition
  • 1858 – Turin, Piedmont-Sardinia – Sesta Esposizione Nazionale di Prodotti d'Industria

1860s

  • 1860 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Grand Exhibition of the Industrial Products of United Canada at the Crystal Palace (Montreal)
  • 1861 – Brisbane, Queensland – First Queensland Exhibition
  • 1861 – Melbourne, Victoria – Second Victorian Exhibition
  • 1861 – Metz, France – Exposition Universelle (1861)
  • 1861 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Fisheries Exposition
  • 1862 – Geelong, Victoria, Australia - Exhibition of Art, Science and Industry
  • 1862 – London, United Kingdom – 1862 International Exhibition
  • 1865 – Bergen, Norway – International Fisheries Exhibition
  • 1865 – Dublin, United Kingdom – International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures
  • 1865 – Freetown, Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone Exhibition
  • 1865 – Porto, Portugal – 1865 International Exhibition
  • 1866 – Ballarat, Victoria – National Industrial Exhibition
  • 1866 – Melbourne, Victoria – Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia
  • 1866 – Boulogne-sur-Mer, France – International Fisheries Exposition
  • 1867 – Paris, France – Exposition Universelle (1867)
  • 1871 – Córdoba, Argentina – Exposición Nacional
  • 1872 – London, United Kingdom – Second Annual International Exhibition (1872)
  • 1872 – Lyon, France – Exposition Universelle et Internationale (1872)
  • 1872 – Kyoto, Japan – Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures (1872) – International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures (1874)
  • 1874 – Rome, Italy – Esposizione internazionale (1874) (never held)
  • 1874 – Jamestown, Saint Helena – St. Helena Industrial Exhibition
  • 1874 – Marseille, France – Exhibition of Modern Inventions and Discoveries
  • 1874 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States – Franklin Institute Exhibition
  • 1875 – Melbourne, Victoria – Victorian Intercolonial Exhibition
  • 1876 – Helsinki, Finland – Finnish General Exhibition
  • 1876 – Adelaide, South Australia – Adelaide Industrial Exhibition
  • 1876 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States – Centennial Exposition
  • 1876 – London, United Kingdom – London Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus
  • 1877 – Tokyo, Japan – First National Industrial Exhibition (1877) (Ueno Park)
  • 1877 – Sydney, New South Wales – Sydney Metropolitan and Intercolonial Exhibition
  • 1877 – Adelaide, South Australia – Adelaide Industrial Exhibition
  • 1878 – Paris, France – Exposition Universelle (1878)
  • 1879 – Kilburn, United Kingdom – International Agricultural Exhibition

1880s

  • 1880 – Berlin, Germany – International Fisheries Exhibition
  • 1881 – Matanzas, Cuba – Exhibition of Matanzas
  • 1881 – Paris, France – International Exposition of Electricity, Paris
  • 1881 – London, United Kingdom – International Medical and Sanitary Exhibition
  • 1881 – Tokyo, Japan – Second National Industrial Exhibition
  • 1881-1882 – Perth, Western Australia – Perth International Exhibition
  • 1882 – Lille, France – International Exposition of Industrial Art
  • 1882 – Munich, Germany – International Electrical Exposition
  • 1882 – Christchurch, New Zealand – New Zealand International Exhibition
  • 1882 – London, United Kingdom – Crystal Palace Electric Exhibition
  • 1882 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom – International Fisheries Exhibition
  • 1882 – Bordeaux, France – Exposition internationale des vins
  • 1883 – London, United Kingdom – International Electric Exhibition
  • 1883 – Vienna, Austria-Hungary – International Electrical Exposition
  • 1883 – Cork, United Kingdom – Cork Industrial Exhibition
  • 1883 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – International Colonial and Export Exhibition
  • 1884 – Nice, France – International Exposition of Nice
  • 1884 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – International Agricultural Exhibition
  • 1884 – London, United Kingdom – London International Universal Exhibition
  • 1884 – South Kensington, United Kingdom – International Health and Education Exhibition
  • 1884 – Cape Town, Cape Colony – South African Industrial Exhibition
  • 1884 – Durban, South Africa – Natal Agricultural, Horticultural, Industrial and Art Exhibition
  • 1884 – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States – World Cotton Centennial
  • 1885 – Zaragoza, Spain – Aragonese Exposition
  • 1885 – London, United Kingdom – International Inventions Exhibition
  • 1886 – London, United Kingdom – Colonial and Indian Exhibition (1886)
  • 1886 – Bendigo, Victoria – Juvenile and Industrial Exhibition
  • 1886 – Launceston, Tasmania – Launceston Industrial Exhibition
  • 1886 – Perth, Western Australia – West Australian Exhibition
  • 1887 – Le Havre, France – International Maritime Exposition
  • 1887 – Atlanta, United States – Piedmont Exposition
  • 1887 – Geelong, Victoria – Geelong Jubilee Juvenile and Industrial Exhibition (1887)
  • 1887 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Royal Jubilee Exhibition
  • 1887 – London, United Kingdom – American Exhibition
  • 1887–1888 – Adelaide, South Australia – Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition (1887)
  • 1888 – Lisbon, Portugal – Exposição Industrial Portugueza (1888)
  • 1888 – Copenhagen, Denmark – The Nordic Exhibition of 1888 (Nordiske Industri-Landbrugs og Kunstudstilling)
  • 1890 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom – International Exhibition of Science, Art & Industry
  • 1891 – Frankfurt, Germany – International Electrotechnical Exhibition
  • 1891 – Kingston, Jamaica – International Exhibition (1891)
  • 1892–1893 – Madrid, Spain – Historical American Exposition
  • 1895 – Montevideo, Uruguay - National Agricultural Exhibition
  • 1896 – Rouen, France – National and Colonial Exposition
  • 1896 – Kiel, Germany – International Shipping and Fishery Exposition
  • 1896 – Budapest, Austria-Hungary – Hungarian Millenary Exhibition [https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896-os_millenniumi_%C3%BCnneps%C3%A9gek?wprov=sfti1#]
  • 1896 – Wellington, New Zealand – Wellington Industrial Exhibition
  • 1896 – Nizhny Novgorod, Russia – Pan Russian Exhibition
  • 1896 – Malmö, Sweden – Nordic Industrial and Handicraft Exhibition
  • 1896 – Berlin, Germany – Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin
  • 1896 – Geneva, Switzerland – Exposition National Suisse
  • 1897 – Brussels, Belgium – Exposition Internationale de Bruxelles (1897)
  • 1897 – Guatemala City, Guatemala – Exposición Centroamericana
  • 1897 – Brisbane, Queensland – Queensland International Exhibition
  • 1897 – Chicago, Illinois, United States – Irish Fair (1897)
  • 1897 – Nashville, Tennessee, United States – Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition
  • 1898 – Turin, Italy – Esposizione Generale Italiana

1900s

  • 1900 – Paris, France – Exposition Universelle (1900)
  • 1902 – Wolverhampton, United Kingdom – Wolverhampton Art and Industrial Exhibition
  • 1902 – St. Petersburg, Russia – International Fisheries Exhibition
  • 1902 – New York City, United States – United States, Colonial and International Exposition (1902) (never held)
  • 1906 – Vienna, Austria-Hungary – Hygiene Exhibition
  • 1906 – Milan, Italy – Esposizione Internazionale del Sempione
  • 1906 – Bucharest, Romania – Romanian General Exposition
  • 1906 – Tourcoing, France – International Exposition of Textile Industries
  • 1906–1907 – Christchurch, New Zealand – International Exhibition (1906)
  • 1908 – New York City, United States – International Mining Exposition (1908)
  • 1908 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Exhibition of the Centenary of the Opening of the Ports of Brazil
  • 1908 – Marseille, France – Exposition International de l'Electricite
  • 1909 – London, United Kingdom – Imperial International Exhibition
  • 1909 – Nancy, France – Exposition Internationale de l'Est de la France
  • 1909 – Seattle, Washington, United States – Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
  • 1909 – San Francisco, California, United States – Portolá Festival (October 19-23, 1909)
  • 1909 – Quito, Ecuador – National Ecuadorian Exposition
  • 1910 – Nanking, China – Nanyang Industrial Exposition
  • 1910 – Vienna, Austria-Hungary – Internationale Jagd-Ausstellung (1910)
  • 1911 – Rome, Italy – Esposizione internazionale d'arte (1911)
  • 1912 – Manila, Philippines – Philippine Exposition (1912)
  • 1912 – London, United Kingdom – Latin-British Exhibition
  • 1912, 1917 – Tokyo, Japan – Grand Exhibition of Japan (planned for 1912, postponed to 1917 and then never held)
  • 1913 – Melbourne, Australia - Great All-Australian Exhibition
  • 1913 – Leipzig, Germany – International Building Trades Exposition
  • 1913 – Auckland, New Zealand – Auckland Exhibition
  • 1913 – Kiev, Russian Empire – All Russian Exhibition
  • 1913 – Knoxville, Tennessee, United States – National Conservation Exposition
  • 1914 – London, United Kingdom – Anglo-American Exhibition
  • 1914 – Boulogne-sur-Mer, France – International Exposition of Sea Fishery Industries (1914)
  • 1914 – Lyon, France – Exposition internationale urbaine de Lyon
  • 1914 – Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Taisho Exposition
  • 1914 – Cologne, Germany – Werkbund Exhibition (1914)
  • 1914 – Bristol, United Kingdom – International Exhibition (1914)
  • 1914 – Nottingham, United Kingdom – Universal Exhibition (1914) (work begun on site 1913 but never held)
  • 1914 – Semarang, Dutch East Indies – Colonial Exhibition of Semarang (Colonial Exposition)
  • 1914 – Christiania, Norway – 1914 Jubilee Exhibition (Norges Jubilæumsutstilling)
  • 1914 – Baltimore, United States – National Star-Spangled Banner Centennial Celebration
  • 1914 – Genoa, Italy – International exhibition of marine and maritime hygiene
  • 1915 – Casablanca, Morocco – Casablanca Fair of 1915
  • 1915 – San Francisco, California, United States – Panama–Pacific International Exposition
  • 1915–1916 – San Diego, California, United States – Panama–California Exposition
  • 1924 – Wembley, London, United Kingdom – British Empire Exhibition
  • 1924 – New York City, United States – French Exposition (1924)
  • 1924–1925 Buenos Aires, Argentina – Industrial Exposition
  • 1925 – Adelaide, Australia – All-Australian Exhibition
  • 1925 – Wellington, New Zealand – Dominion Industrial Exhibition
  • 1925 – San Francisco, California, United States – California's Diamond Jubilee (1925)
  • 1925 – Paris, France – International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts – Exposition internationale de la grande industrie, sciences et applications, art wallon ancien
  • 1930 – Oran, Algeria – Oran Exposition
  • 1930 – Dresden, Germany – International Hygiene Exposition
  • 1930 – Stockholm, Sweden – Stockholm Exhibition (1930) (Utställningen av konstindustri, konsthandverk och hemslöjd)
  • 1933 – Tokyo, Japan – Women's and Children International Exhibition
  • 1933–1934 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Industrial Exposition
  • 1933–1934 – Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • 1935 – Taipei. Taiwan – The Taiwan Exposition: In Commemoration of the First Forty Years of Colonial Rule
  • 1935–1936 – San Diego, California United States ILIS 1936
  • 1936 – Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine – Levant Fair
  • 1936 – Cleveland, United States – Great Lakes Exposition
  • 1937 – Dallas, United States – Greater Texas & Pan-American Exposition
  • 1940 – Naples, Italy – Mostra Triennale delle Terre Italiane d’Oltremare (Triennial Exhibition of Overseas Italian Territories)
  • 1940 – Tokyo, Japan – Grand International Exposition of Japan (1940) (never held)
  • 1947 – Paris, France
  • 1951 – London, United Kingdom
  • 1953 – Jerusalem, Israel – International Exhibition and Fair Jerusalem Israel Conquest of the desert
  • 1954 – Naples, Italy – Oltremare Exhibition – Campi Flegrei
  • 1955 – Ciudad Trujillo (Santo Domingo), Dominican Republic – Feria de la Paz y Confraternidad del Mundo Libre
  • 1958 – Brussels, Belgium
  • 1959 – Moscow, Soviet Union – Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh)

1960s

  • 1960 – cancelled (planned site: Caracas, Venezuela)
  • 1961 – Turin, Italy – Exposition International du Travail Expo 61
  • 1962 – Seattle, United States
  • 1967 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Expo 71 (Exhibition World of Hunting)
  • 1974 – Spokane, Washington, United States
  • 1982 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Floriade 1982
  • 1982 – Knoxville, Tennessee, United States – 1982 World's Fair – Sunsphere
  • 1985 – Tsukuba, Japan – Expo 85
  • 1992 – three expositions (1 was cancelled) celebrating 500 years since Christopher Columbus reached the Americas
  • Seville, Spain – Seville Expo '92 Universal Exposition, port where Columbus started his voyage
  • 1996 – cancelled (planned site: Budapest, Hungary)
  • 2000 – Greenwich, London, United Kingdom – Millennium Dome
  • 2002 – cancelled (planned site: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia)
  • 2004 – Barcelona, Spain – Universal Forum of World Cultures
  • 2006–2007 – Chiang Mai, Thailand – Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006
  • 2008 – Zaragoza, Spain – Expo 2008

2010s

  • 2010 – Shanghai, China – Expo 2010
  • 2015 – Milan, Italy – Expo 2015
  • 2016 – Antalya, Türkiye – Expo 2016
  • 2017 – Astana, Kazakhstan – Expo 2017
  • 2019 – Beijing, China – Expo 2019

2020s

  • 2021–2022 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Expo 2020
  • 2022 – Almere, Netherlands – Floriade 2022
  • 2023 – cancelled (planned site: Buenos Aires, Argentina)
  • 2023–2024 – Doha, Qatar – Expo 2023
  • 2025 – Osaka, Japan – Expo 2025
  • 2027 – Yokohama, Japan– Expo 2027
  • 2027 – Belgrade, Serbia – Expo 2027
  • 2027 - İzmir , Türkiye
  • 2029–2030 – Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand – Expo 2029

2030s

  • 2030 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Expo 2030
  • 2031 – Minnesota, United States – Expo 2031

Future bids and candidate cities

Several cities plan to bid for the Expo 2035 including Berlin, Germany; New Administrative Capital, Egypt; Busan, South Korea; China in Hong Kong & Shenzhen; and Miami, United States.

See also

  • List of World's Fair architecture
  • List of tourist attractions worldwide
  • List of world expositions

References

  • ExpoMuseum – The World's Fair Museum
  • ExpoBids – Proposed and Active Bids for Future World's Fairs