The 2010 Shanghai World Expo has planned 33 venues for 20,000 performances during the expo period, the organizers said.

The venues include seven indoor stages for concerts, musicals or ballets and 26 outdoor squares for parade, folk arts and street performances. They cover a total area of 0.48 square kilometers.

The venues can hold about 68,000 audiences.

Hu Jinjun, deputy director of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, said Saturday at least three performances will be held in each venue each day during the expo period which runs from May 1 to October 31, 2010.

Domestic performance applications are asked to be submitted to the expo prior to Nov. 15 this year.

So far, 168 countries and 30 international organizations have confirmed to participate in the expo, which is expected to draw 70 million visitors.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2008)