About Expo 2015

Expo2015 is the Universal Exposition, (World Exposition Milan) organized by the State that previously won a worldwide competition and that, in this edition, has seen the participation of 144 countries, 60 Corporate participants and 10 international organizations. The event is not limited to the display of new technology, but is also meant to interpret the challenges that humanity is called to decipher in the new millennium.

History of World Expositions

Since the first edition of 1852, that took place in London, each Universal Exhibition has become a unique place to develop international dialogue, cooperation between the States and to focus on current issues important for the international community. From London to Hannover in 2000, until the 73 million visitors of Shanghai in 2010, every event has attracted a record number of visitors, thanks to the cooperation and commitment of every single participating delegation.

The city of Milan has been designated as the host country on March 31, 2008 by the General Assembly of the BIE, the Internation Bureau of Expositions, the international intergovernmental organization that since 1928, following the Paris Convention, manages exposures. On October, 30 2010, the Expo Cultural Centre in Shanghai has passed its baton to Milan Expo 2015, and its challenge to inform the world on issues related to food and to the nutrition world. A challenge that the capital of Lombardy and the entire Italy have welcomed with enthusiasm and that it is ready to be developed during the six months of the event.

What is the theme of Expo Milano 2015?

The five Thematic Areas

The thematic areas, the physical places that interpret the theme of the Expo, are located at the main entrances and at key points of the Exhibition Site and are designed to provide an educational and exciting experience for both children and adults. From the Pavilion Zero, the gateway of the event, till the Future Food District, dedicated to Information Technology on food, passing through the Children Park, the area fully dedicated to children, and the Biodiversity Park, to tell the different food systems, every place of the site will try to communicate with the visitor by offering to him a unique overview of informational and sensorial experiences. To find out the details about every single area, have a look at the guide below.

Info tickets

The tickets for Expo 2015 can be bought in all the Coop supermarkets or right at the Expo. Other than that, you can buy them on-line, on the Expo website, in the tickets area. There are some reductions, such as the family ticket, the 2/3-days-ticket and the ticket for schools. For further information about the tickets, you can visit the FAQ section of the website.

How to reach Expo2015

The Universal Exposition will be easy to reach from Milan and from the rest of the world thanks to its many links at a local, regional and international level. With an average of 160,000 visitors per day, that on peak days will reach 250,000, the expected mobility plan aims to encourage the use of public transport.

By car

Reaching the Nuovo Polo Fiera Milano in Rho is simple, as it is situated close to the city and adjacent to three motorways: the A4 (Turin-Milan-Venice), the A8/A9 (Milan-Como-Chiasso and Milan-Varese) and the Tangenziale ovest connecting in the south to the A1 Milan-Rome-Naples. The creation of access routes to the exhibition space will make the Expo more accessible the Expo, lighten the traffic up.

For those coming from the A8 and A9 motorways and directed to the site, the exit to take is Fiera Milano. For those arriving from A4 highway, the exit to take is Pero Fiera Milano. Finally, for those coming from A7 Genoa and A1 Bologna, simply take the Tangenziale Nord and follow the directions to Fiera Milano.

Where to park

If you take the car, you can choose among several parking areas: Arese, Fieramilano Rho, Trenno and Cascina Merlata. The first one is connected to Expo 2015 by means of a 500 meters long footpath, thanks to which you can easily reach the exposition. The rest of the areas are provided with free shuttles, thanks to which you can reach Expo 2015.

By underground

Public transport will always be active to guarantee a reliable transport service. You can reach the fair by the MM1 underground line (red line) towards Rho-Fiera Milano and get off at Rho-Fiera Milano. To buy a ticket, you’ll simply have to go to the authorized retailers and ATMs Points, located in the stations of Centrale, Duomo, Cadorna, Garibaldi, Romolo and Loreto. An even simpler option is to buy your ticket at the ATMs machines present in every metro station.

At the west door of the Expo Site, there is a new underground stop specifically provided for the event, which is connected to two regional lines and to the Milanese subway. During the whole period of the exhibition, the high-speed trains will make extraordinary stopsin the stations of Rho Fiera Milano, and there will be a shuttle-bus service connecting the railway station to the station of Rho Fiera Milano.

By train

If you arrive by train at one of the major railway stations in Milan, you can reach the Exposition site through the subway of Milan. From Central Station and Garibaldi Station, take the Metro Green Line towards Abbiategrasso, get off at Cadorna Triennale F.N. and reach the stop Rho Fiera Milano, by taking the red line. If you get off at the train station of Rho, there is a shuttle bus that runs daily from the station to the exhibition site.

By plane

From Linate airport you can reach the exhibition site, by taking bus number 73 to Piazza San Babila, where you’ll be able to take the subway towards Rho Fiera Milano (on the Red Line). From Malpensa airport you can take the Malpensa Express (one every 30 minutes) directed to Cadorna Station and then take the Red Line to M1 Rho Fiera Milano. From Orio al Serio airport you can take one of the shuttles belonging to private companies, which have a cost of only € 4 and which stop at the Central Station.

By taxi

Finally, in order to reach the fairground, you can book a taxi using one of the radio taxi services active on the entire city of Milan, such as: Taxi Blue 02 40 40; Yellow Taxi 02 69 69; Radio Taxi Arrow 02 40 00; Car Radio Taxi 02 85 85 e il radio taxi La Martesana 02 21 81.

Rental solutions for Expo2015

During the entire duration of the exhibition, 21 millions of visitors are expected to come, of which 30% will be foreigners. The hospitality services available in Milan will offer about 500 million accommodations, all within 90 minutes from the city centre. In order to save some money without giving up the comforts of your own home, chose to rent an apartment for a short period of time!.

You’ll be able to easily reach the Expo and be free to come back to your home in Milan, not only to rest, but to live! Having a kitchen with all the appliances needed means having the possibility to invite friends, family and colleagues over. And this goes along with a greater flexibility and the 24/7 availability of our staff, that will make your stay in Milan as enjoyable as possible.

Enjoy your stay, The Best Rent will think about everything else.

“The Best Rent offers apartments in the centre of Milan and close to the sites of Expo 2015, many of which are certified with higher energy class and located in eco-sustainability environments”

Discover the five Thematic Areas of the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”

For all the information about the Exhibition, please refer to the official website: www.expo2015.org.

1. Pavilion Zero

The gateway to the Expo. Thirty-six thousand square meters of extension and 14 feet high, with wooden cones as high as 26 meters. These are the numbers of the large container that will include all the themes dedicated to the event. Located at the western part of the exhibition site, the pavilion has been designed by Michele De Lucchi and edited by Davide Rampello, and displays what men have produced on Mother Earth from his appearance until now, also taking into consideration all the environmental changes, the cultural traditions and the rituals associated to the consumption of food. In the Pavilion Zero, this extraordinary journey of the evolution of mankind and nature is displayed, with all the symbols and mythologies, describing the man’s relationship with nature without giving up on the analysis of all the contradictions of contemporary powers. Why should you visit it? It is the starting point of the Expo journey, a place where it is possible to meet culture and share emotions.

2 . Future Food District

Food and technology. The Future Food District (#FFD), created by Carlo Ratti in collaboration with MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the place where you can discover how new technologies are applied in every step of the food chain, from storage to distribution, until the purchase and the consumption of food. The #FFD is located on the south side of the Exhibition Site, in the Open Air Theatre near the crosswalk connection with Cascina Merlata, the eco and social residential area. Why should you visit it? In order to explore the laboratory of technological innovations and to buy products in the Interactive Supermarket. Do not miss the meetings with professional chefs who will lead you to the discovery of the latest technologies used in the kitchen.

3. Biodiversity Park

The 8,000 square meters park and the 7 large greenhouses make this area the most “alive” of all: it will be possible to observe hundreds of plants, smell them, touch them and, in some cases, even eat them. This project was carried out by the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science of the Università degli Studi di Milano, coordinated by Emilio Genovesi, to disclose the agro-biodiversity and its role in the human well-being. Why should you visit it? Because of the species treasured in the greenhouse and because of the twelve stories which narrate the evolution of agriculture and the origin of plants from all over the world. Biodiversity and the most amazing technical solutions used to produce food and shape the environment are waiting for you!

4 . Children Park

The interactive playground. The Children Park was designed by Sabina Chanterelle and developed by the team of Reggio Children, the International Centre for the defense and promotion of children rights and potential. A playground area where activities and interactive games are interchanged with places where it is possible to rest and relax. A place where emotions take control, as in the “Ring around the planet, Ring around the future” where children are the protagonists of a journey to discover the complex issue of life on the planet. Large artificial trees will accompany you during the discovery of this huge linear garden.

5 . Art and Food

The art and food exhibition. This exhibition, curated by Germano Celant, combines art and food, following a path that dates back to 1851, the year of the first Universal Exhibition in London, and that traces the milestones of food painting and sculpture, described in parallel to the narrative of contemporary and industrial arts. The exhibition will be hosted at the Triennale di Milano and will not only involve the hubs of contemporary art and impressionism: it will also present the history of spaces and objects related to food and cooking.