The U.S. has not hosted a World”™s Fair since the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans, and the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, is in the running to invite bring this distinctive international gathering back to the country.
Bloomington is one of five cities competing to host Expo 2027, a specialized exhibition planned by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) for either 2027 or 2028. The city is proposing the theme “Healthy People, Healthy Planet” for Expo 2027, which will would be held adjacent to the Mall of America and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The Bloomington organizers are forecasting 13.3 million visitors if the city wins the bid.
Bloomington unsuccessfully bid for the Expo 2023, which was awarded to Buenos Aires, Argentina ”“ which wound up canceling the event due to the country”™s financial burden created by the Covid pandemic. For Expo 2027, the city is up against the Serbian capital of Belgrade, Malaga in Spain, Phuket in Thailand and San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina. The BIE will vote on the winning bid for the event in June.
Although the U.S. has not hosted a World”™s Fair in nearly four decades, this international event continues to be a popular attraction in other countries, most recently in Dubai which held its Covid-delayed Expo 2020 from October 2021 through March 2022. Local residents of a certain age may recall the New York World”™s Fair of 1964-1965, which was staged without the BIE”™s approval and was a major financial flop despite a multitude of memorable attractions.
