An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate (W1, W2) with illumination light via a projection optical system and via liquid (Lq), comprising: a measurement system configured to irradiate a measurement beam onto the substrate to obtain positional information of the substrate, the measurement system being located in a second area that is different from a first area in which the projection optical system is located; a base member arranged below the projection optical system and below the measurement system; first and second stages (WST1, WST2) each arranged to be supported by levitation above the base member and each having an upper surface, a reference provided on the upper surface and a holder (H1, H2), the upper surface being arranged for contacting a liquid immersion region formed with the liquid below the projection optical system, the holder being provided in an opening formed on the upper surface such that a substrate can be held in the opening by vacuum suction; a transferring system configured to transfer a further substrate to an exchange position in the second area such that the substrate, held by one of the first and second stages, is exchanged with the transferred further substrate; a drive system configured to drive the first and second stages such that each of the first and second stages levitating on the base member can be moved from the second area to the first area and from the first area to the second area; and a controller configured to control the drive system such that the first and second stages, one of which is arranged facing the projection optical system are moved relative to each other so that the other of the first and second stages comes close to the one stage and such that the close first and second stages are moved relative to the projection optical system in a predetermined direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system so that the other stage is arranged facing the projection optical system in place of the one stage while the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the projection optical system; wherein the controller is configured to control the drive system to drive each of the first and second stages such that an exposure operation of the substrate via the projection optical system and via liquid of the liquid immersion region is performed in the first area, a measurement operation of the substrate by use of the measurement system and an exchange operation of the substrate by use of the transferring system are performed in the second area, and the measurement beam is radiated onto the reference by the measurement system in the measurement operation. a measurement system configured to irradiate a measurement beam onto the substrate to obtain positional information of the substrate, the measurement system being located in a second area that is different from a first area in which the projection optical system is located; a base member arranged below the projection optical system and below the measurement system; first and second stages (WST1, WST2) each arranged to be supported by levitation above the base member and each having an upper surface, a reference provided on the upper surface and a holder (H1, H2), the upper surface being arranged for contacting a liquid immersion region formed with the liquid below the projection optical system, the holder being provided in an opening formed on the upper surface such that a substrate can be held in the opening by vacuum suction; a transferring system configured to transfer a further substrate to an exchange position in the second area such that the substrate, held by one of the first and second stages, is exchanged with the transferred further substrate; a drive system configured to drive the first and second stages such that each of the first and second stages levitating on the base member can be moved from the second area to the first area and from the first area to the second area; and a controller configured to control the drive system such that the first and second stages, one of which is arranged facing the projection optical system are moved relative to each other so that the other of the first and second stages comes close to the one stage and such that the close first and second stages are moved relative to the projection optical system in a predetermined direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system so that the other stage is arranged facing the projection optical system in place of the one stage while the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the projection optical system;