Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) have completed their Enquiry Mission as part of the examination of Spain’s candidature to organise a Specialised Expo in Malaga in 2027 under the theme “The Urban Era: towards the Sustainable City”.

　　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 Spain and laid out in its candidature dossier. The delegation was composed of Delegates of three 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 H.M. King Felipe VI of Spain

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

　　Having arrived in Madrid on 25 September, Members of the Enquiry Mission met with King Felipe VI of Spain and discussed the Expo project with the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. Meetings were also held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the First Vice President of the Congress of Deputies, Alfonso Rodríguez Gómez de Celis, and members of parliamentary groups. Accompanied by the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, the delegation travelled to Malaga on 27 September, where they were received by the President of the Province of Malaga, Francisco Salado, and the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno.

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

　　The candidature dossier submitted by Spain outlines a vision for a Specialised Expo addressing the realisation of the sustainable city by managing the urbanisation process in a responsible, fair and inclusive manner. The Expo would be held between 5 June and 5 September 2027 on a site located in the western part of Malaga connected to the university and industrial parks. The candidature committee forecasts that 120 countries, international organisations and NGOs would participate in the Expo and that it would receive 7.5 million visits during its three-month opening period.

　　The Enquiry Mission to Spain is the fourth of five being carried out as part of the project evaluation phase for Specialised Expo 2027/28. Enquiry Missions to Thailand, Argentina and Serbia have already taken place, and the final one – to the United States – will take place between 10 and 14 October. The findings of the Enquiry Missions will be discussed by the BIE’s Executive Committee on 21 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 under the theme “Future Energy”, and received almost 4 million visits.