“Expo Astana 2017” was held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, from June 10 to September 10, 2017. Organized by the National Company “Astana EXPO-2017,” it was an International Recognized Exhibition, or recognized Expo, and the first Expo held in Central Asia. Over three months, 115 countries and 22 international organizations took part, and the Expo recorded 3,977,545 visits.

The idea of hosting an Expo was first announced by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev during his visit to Expo 2008 Zaragoza. Kazakhstan submitted its bid in June 2011, and on November 22, 2012, the 152nd General Assembly of the International Exhibitions Bureau (Bureau International des Expositions, BIE) in Paris chose Astana over Liège, Belgium, by 103 votes to 44. The BIE General Assembly approved the Expo’s recognition on June 11, 2015. (The city was known as Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022.)

The theme, “Future Energy,” asked how the world could secure clean and reliable energy for everyone. It was explored through three subthemes: reducing CO2 emissions, efficient energy use and energy for all. A Future Energy Forum held three preparatory meetings and 12 conferences during the Expo, and its conclusions informed a Manifest of Values and Principles that records the Expo’s intellectual legacy.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture won the international design competition for the site, which drew more than 100 entries, and designed a master plan in two phases: first the Expo, then the conversion of its buildings into a new city neighborhood. Buildings were oriented to reduce energy use, generate energy and stay comfortable year-round. The 25-hectare exhibition area lay within a 174-hectare site on Astana’s left bank, near Nazarbayev University. At its center rose Nur-Alem, the Kazakhstan pavilion, an 80-meter-diameter glass sphere with 3,535 double-glazed windows, photovoltaic elements and two wind turbines. It was the Expo’s most visited pavilion and housed the Museum of Future Energy.

National pavilions approached the theme in varied ways. Germany offered an interactive swing that demonstrated hydroelectric power, the Republic of Korea told the story of the shift from fossil fuels to renewables through animation, dance and augmented reality, and the United Kingdom presented a 60-meter panorama under the title “We are energy.” Theme pavilions and an Energy Best Practices Area presented more than 20 technologies and policies. Some 3,500 events filled the program, and 28 heads of state and more than 100 heads of government visited. Three mascots, Saule, Kuat and Moldir, stood for solar energy, green energy and water energy.

The Expo left a lasting mark on the city. Astana gained a new railway station and airport terminal, and Kazakhstan lifted visa requirements for citizens of almost 40 countries. The former site now hosts the Astana International Finance Centre, the Astana Hub IT park, an IT university, and the International Centre for Green Technologies and Investment Projects, while the Museum of Future Energy in Nur-Alem welcomes more than 300,000 visitors a year. According to the BIE, 133 energy projects presented at the Expo were later carried out across Kazakhstan.

Expo 2017 Astana brought the Expo movement to Central Asia for the first time and tied a global conversation on clean energy to the growth of a young capital city.