EXPO 2027 Belgrade – 137 confirmed International Participants until now, GITEX and Flying Taxis
“May 15th 2027 is the moment in which Belgrade and Serbia are given the opportunity to become a meeting point for ideas, cultures, innovation, and people from all over the world”! Danilo Jerinić, Director of EXPO 2027
As Europe searches for new spaces for dialogue and cooperation, Belgrade is preparing for a moment that could redefine its international position. So far, 137 international participants have already confirmed their attendance at Expo 2027 Belgrade, the largest global event Serbia has ever organised.
One year before the opening of the exhibition, Danilo Jerinić, Director of EXPO 2027 d.o.o. Belgrade, explains exclusively for Internationalis Slovenia, why the theme of play carries greater social significance today than ever before, and how Expo is transforming the international standing of Belgrade and the wider region.
Belgrade has entered the final year of preparations for the largest international event in its history. What does this moment look like from the perspective of the man leading the project?
“Honestly, once you enter the final year, that is when you become fully aware of the scale of everything that lies ahead. The project is no longer just a plan on paper, but something you can see growing every day — through the construction site, international meetings, the arrival of participating countries, and the tremendous global interest surrounding it.
It is both a great responsibility and a great privilege, especially knowing that during its 93-day run, Expo 2027 is expected to welcome more than four million visitors. Around 8,000 events are planned across sport, music, education, innovation, and, of course, business.
The business platform will hold a particularly important place on the agenda, as it is precisely within this framework that new connections, business opportunities, and economic cooperation are created. In other words, we are talking about a moment in which Belgrade and Serbia are given the opportunity to become a meeting point for ideas, cultures, innovation and people from all over the world.”
Expo 2027 will not only be an opportunity for Serbia and its economy — it will be a chance for the entire region to position itself on the international map, especially from an economic perspective
Belgrade will be the first city in the Western Balkans to host a specialised Expo. What does this change for the Region?
“This type of international event is taking place in the Western Balkans for the very first time. Expo 2027 will not only be an opportunity for Serbia and its economy — it will be a chance for the entire region to position itself on the international map, especially from an economic perspective.
That is why its significance goes far beyond Serbia’s borders. Expo 2027 is an opportunity for the region to present itself as a space of knowledge, talent, creative industries, and international cooperation.”
Expo 2027 is expected to welcome more than four million visitors!
The theme of Expo 2027 is “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All.” Why play?
“Because play perhaps best describes what today’s world is missing. When we speak about play, we are not referring to entertainment in a trivial sense, but rather to creativity, empathy, mental health, and society’s ability to cooperate.
Play has always been a driving force behind human development. Albert Einstein once said that play is the highest form of research, while Nikola Tesla developed his ideas through imagination and mental experimentation.
Sport and music are universal languages that transcend borders and political differences. At a time of increasingly visible divisions, we wanted a theme that brings people together.”
So far, 137 international participants have confirmed their attendance at Expo 2027. Has such a strong interest surprised you?
“International exhibitions have always been places where new directions for the future are shaped. From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to technologies that changed everyday life, Expo has historically represented much more than an ordinary fair.
In terms of the number of confirmed participants, Expo 2027 has already surpassed the previous host city — Astana — where 115 countries took part. This demonstrates strong international confidence in Serbia as a host, but also the fact that the world is seeking new centres for international gatherings.”
You have also placed major focus on the volunteer programme. Can citizens from other countries like Slovenia apply as well?
“Absolutely. Expo 2027 is envisioned as an international event open to the entire world, and the volunteer programme will therefore be open both to citizens of Serbia and to people from abroad. We are planning for around 20,000 volunteers, which will make it the largest volunteer programme in Serbia’s history. Everyone older than 18 can apply via the official Expo website. We want Expo to become the largest open classroom for young people in this part of Europe.”
Serbia had a highly successful presentation at Expo 2025 in Osaka last year. How important was that experience for you?
“Extremely important. More than one million people visited the Serbian pavilion in Osaka, and we received two international awards. But perhaps even more importantly, we received confirmation that Serbia is capable of communicating on equal footing with the world’s most technologically and organisationally advanced nations. Today, people no longer attend major events simply to see something. They want an experience they will remember. That is precisely what we want to offer in Belgrade.”
What still awaits us before Expo opens on 15 May 2027?
“The most important thing is that all construction work is proceeding according to schedule and that the entire Expo complex will be completed on time. On 15 May this year, we marked exactly 365 days until the opening of Expo. And then, as people often say, we begin the final countdown. Throughout the summer, many exciting and entertaining Expo 2027 activations are planned, and we invite our neighbours and friends from across the region to visit Belgrade and Serbia this summer as well. The most significant developments await us this autumn. Starting in September, we will launch the first ticket sales phase, together with programme promotions. The Expo Village for national delegations is practically complete, and participating countries will receive the keys to their pavilions by 1 December.
At the same time, we are implementing the volunteer programme, and I would once again like to invite everyone interested — especially young people from across the region and around the world — to come to Expo and, through volunteering, gain new experiences, knowledge, and lifelong friendships.”
Once Expo 2027 comes to an end, how would you like the world to remember it?
“For its atmosphere. For the feeling that Belgrade succeeded in bringing the world together around the ideas of cooperation, creativity, and openness. Of course, the infrastructure, new urban development, and international connections will remain. But ultimately, the greatest value of every major Expo lies in people.
That is precisely why it is important for us that Expo 2027 becomes the first Expo fully oriented toward legacy. We are not building spaces intended to last only 93 days, but facilities and content that will continue to live on after the exhibition — through education, sport, innovation, culture, and the everyday life of the city, designed around people’s needs.
In the end, the greatest legacy of every Expo is not the buildings, but the people who pass through it, the experiences they carry with them, and the connections that remain long after the exhibition lights go out.”
“We are planning for around 20,000 volunteers, which will make it the largest volunteer programme in Serbia’s history. Everyone older than 18 can apply via the official Expo website “
