Oct 13, 2025: October 13, 2025, marks the closing of the World Expo and, with it, the end of an exceptional adventure for the France Pavilion, which has become one of the most, if not the most visited pavilion of this edition.
Beyond its strategic location and impressive architecture, the France Pavilion stood out with a universal theme: an ode to love.
During a stroll punctuated by visual and sound pulses, designed by artist Justine Emard in collaboration with GSM Project, visitors discovered an immersive exhibition made possible thanks to Gold partners: LVMH with Louis Vuitton and Dior, AXA, Les Vins d’Alsace, and NinaPharm.
This immersive journey, a true display of French expertise and culture, has welcomed nearly 5 million visitors who have discovered it on Yumeshima Island, or online through its digital format.
AN UNDENIABLE SUCCESS IN A FEW KEY FIGURES
Designed to accommodate up to 28,000 visitors per day and around 2350 per hour, the organization was able to offer a smooth journey and a successful experience to a record number of visitors.
In addition, more than 3,200 official delegations were welcomed, including 120 Japanese dignitaries. Also, nearly 600 business delegations were received at the invitation of partners.
A net surplus confirms the financial strength of the France Pavilion, whose business model (bakery, bistro, shop) generated sufficient revenue to close the cycle without resorting to additional public funds.
The media coverage confirms the scale of the success: the media impact in terms of advertising equivalence is estimated at €57.6 million (€42 million in Japan and €15.6 million in France).
ARTISTIC IMMERSION AND MEMORABLE CULTURAL MOMENTS
The Pavilion offered visitors many memorable artistic moments, at the junction of French and Japanese cultures. On several occasions, the quartet of ambassadors visited the Pavilion for moments of sharing and fraternity.
Sophie Marceau and Teddy Riner, ambassadors of the Pavilion, inaugurated the premises together, performing alongside each other around the Akai Ito. A Shinto ceremony also marked the opening month.
The July 14 celebrations captivated the audience with a giant origami heart, now featured in the Guinness World Records. The Pavilion vibrated to the rhythm of music, with soprano Norie Suzuki performing while Olympic rugby champion and Pavilion Ambassador Antoine Dupont gave a rousing speech to an audience of thousands of visitors.
On September 13, France Day, a giant human chain of Akai Ito, led by Léa Seydoux, ambassador of the Pavilion, sealed the Franco-Japanese friendship. Later in the day, Teddy Riner and the Judo Federations of both countries led workshops for around fifty children. The day ended with an exceptional concert by Indochine.
The temporary exhibitions celebrated French excellence and added renewed elements to the permanent exhibition. A series of fortnightly themed events enabled numerous partners to discuss major global challenges through conferences, round tables, and private screenings.
This success was made possible thanks to the contribution of all the partners. Some of them loaned exceptional works that embodied the Pavillon’s central theme: “An Ode to Love.” The Aubusson tapestry, woven in Creuse using centuries-old techniques, depicted a cult scene from the animated film Princess Mononoke. A stone chimera, miraculously saved from the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, served as a reminder of the resilience of French heritage. Visitors were also able to admire exceptional sculpture casts, such as Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss and Mercury Abducting Psyche.
Auguste Rodin’s five hands, on loan from the Rodin Museum—made of plaster, bronze, or marble—punctuated each exhibition space: the hand that protects, that shares, the hand that creates, that shapes, that unites… Finally, certain Japanese pieces, such as the statue of the Iriomote cat on loan from the city of Taketomi (Okinawa Prefecture), enriched this artistic and cultural dialogue.
All these works will be returned to their owners at the end of the exhibition, although some will remain in Japan as part of specific installations or exhibitions, thus extending the experience to a wider audience.
A SECOND LIFE TO THE PAVILION
Beyond the World Expo, the France Pavilion will see its structures, scenographic fittings, and furniture given a second life, extending the spirit of circularity and solidarity, particularly to schools affected by earthquakes and various Japanese institutions.
As for the structure of the Pavilion, it was designed to be reused. Its metal frame, modular beams, and technical spaces, such as offices, can be completely dismantled. Thanks to this responsible architectural choice, all elements can be reused for other projects by the builder, who owns and manages the structure. This transfer of responsibility introduces a real innovation that reduces deconstruction costs and guarantees a second life for the building.
Finally, “The Pavilion will be dismantled, of course, but that’s not the end of its story” explains Jacques Maire. One of the major challenges was also to keep the Exhibition alive beyond its walls after it closed. Like a heritage legacy, the experience will remain accessible through an interactive and immersive 4K video, a first in the history of previous France pavilions. A model will also be preserved and made available at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris.
“These are all precious traces that will allow the Pavilion to continue to exist, no longer just as a temporary venue, but as a living heritage, guardian of collective memory and witness to French know-how” adds the General Commissioner.
OSAKA: MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF A NEW ERA OF WORLD EXPOS
The challenge, which was not only technical and logistical, also consisted of breaking free from the more traditional codes specific to World Expos. In 2025, The Pavilion entered a new era, where innovation is human, sensory, and narrative, transforming the visit into a memorable experience, marked by emotion as much as curiosity.
As Jacques Maire points out :
“Organizing a World’s Fair here is no easy task: the requirements are extremely high, the costs are very significant, and the competition is intense. We had to respect local codes, create an authentic connection with the Japanese public, and offer an experience that met international expectations. I believe we can say that we have successfully met this challenge: the impact on the public has been considerable. The Japanese, who adore French culture, experienced moments of intense emotion, and it was precisely for them that we designed every detail of the Pavilion, to touch, amaze, and create a lasting bond.”
The France Pavilion was designed to surprise, amaze, and move visitors, while telling a unifying story. Each space, each work of art, and each feature was designed to create an immediate emotional connection, convey universal values, and invite visitors to reflect, feel, and share. Innovation is no longer just technical: it is human, sensory, and narrative, transforming the visit into a memorable experience marked by emotion as much as curiosity. This has been made possible thanks to the participation of all our partners, particularly those involved in the scenography: AXA, LVMH, Ninapharm, and Vins d’Alsace, as well as the quality of the creative teams, architects Coldefy and Ratti, museum agency GSM Project, artistic director Justine Emard, and designer José Lévy, creative director of the reception areas.
NEXT STEPS?
BELGRADE 2027, THEN RIYADH 2030!
This momentum does not stop in Osaka. In just 18 months, in 2027, France will open its next pavilion in Belgrade for the International Exhibition, before taking on another ambitious challenge: the World Expo in Riyadh in 2030.