Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) have completed their Enquiry Mission as part of the examination of Serbia’s candidature to organise a Specialised Expo in Belgrade in 2027 under the theme “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All”.

Members of the Enquiry Mission, led by the President of the BIE Executive Committee, Alain Berger, looked into all aspects of the Expo project submitted by Serbia and laid out in its candidature dossier. The delegation was composed of Delegates of BIE Member States, and the Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, and was accompanied by BIE officials.

Members of the Enquiry Mission, led by the President of the BIE Executive Committee, Alain Berger, meet with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabi?

Over the course of five days, Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the candidature project, visited the proposed Expo site, and exchanged with national and local official, as well as representatives of the business community and members of civil society.

Members of the Enquiry Mission, who arrived in Belgrade on 12 September, met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabi?, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Selacovi?, the Minister of Finance, Siniša Mali, the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Communication, Tatjana Mati?, and the Minister of Youth and Sport, Vanja Udovi?i?. The delegation was also received by the Mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapi?, and the Speaker of the Parliament, Vladimir Orli?.

Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the candidature project

The candidature dossier submitted by Serbia outlines a vision for a Specialised Expo addressing the importance of play and its role in the development of human resilience and capacity building. The Expo would be held between 15 May and 15 August 2027 on a site that is part of a planned Urban Masterplan Complex between the Sava River and New Belgrade. The candidature committee forecasts that 120 countries and around 10 international organisations would participate in the Expo and that it would receive 4 million visits during its three-month opening period.

The Enquiry Mission to Serbia is the third of five being carried out as part of the project evaluation phase for Specialised Expo 2027/28. Enquiry Missions to Thailand and Argentina have already taken place, and the others – to Spain and the United States –will take place over the next month. The findings of the Enquiry Missions will be discussed by the BIE’s Executive Committee in October 2022, which will decide to retain the candidatures it considers to be feasible and viable. In June 2023 during the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE, the host country of Specialised Expo 2027/28 will be elected via secret ballot by BIE Member States, on the principle of one country one vote.

Expos are global events that explore a chosen theme through engaging and immersive discoveries. Among the different categories of Expos, Specialised Expos are designed to respond to a precise challenge facing humanity and may take place in the interval between two World Expos. Specialised Expos are limited in terms of duration - lasting up to three months - and space - with the exhibition area not exceeding 25 hectares. The site is entirely built by the Organiser, Participants being provided with pavilion space.

The most recent Specialised Expo, Expo 2017 Astana, took place in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, under the theme “Future Energy”, and received almost 4 million visits.