The theme of the Specialised EXPO exhibition in Belgrade, to be held in 2027, will come to life over 92 days through a very comprehensive programme, foreign pavilion zones, thematic weeks, celebrations of the national days of the participating countries, as well as through numerous specialised programmes.

In less than three years, Serbia will host more than 120 countries, which will present their ideas on “Play for Humanity: Sports and Music for All” from 15 May to 15 August 2027. There is huge interest from potential participants, and citizens in Serbia and the whole region are eagerly awaiting more information about what the pavilions will look like and what will be presented there – that is, how the participants will respond to the given theme. “Although the exhibition itself lasts for 92 days, the participating countries will not be in our country for those three months alone, but will certainly be present in Serbia for about a year preparing the exhibition,” said Dušan Borovčanin, Director of EXPO 2027 d.o.o. Curiosity is natural, especially considering that this is the first event of its kind in the Western Balkans.

The exhibition theme additionally attracts attention by pointing out the importance of play and the need to keep creativity and playfulness in our minds throughout our lives. The theme is also one of the main reasons why Serbia won the tough battle with the Spanish Malaga, the American Minnesota, the Thai Phuket and the Argentinian Bariloche and thus got the opportunity to organise this exhibition. “The idea is to remind ourselves of the importance of play, not only in the context of human development and the skills we acquire in this way as children, but also to remind us that play is still an integral part of our lives today, as through it we make discoveries in science, technology and even sports and music,” said Borovčanin.

EXPO exhibitions are designed to respond to the challenges that humanity is facing through selected themes, and Serbia's contribution to this objective is reflected in the fact that play, as an approved theme, encourages interaction, togetherness and creativity, which are essential nowadays.

The exhibition itself is conceived as an interactive event that will gather and engage visitors in the planned activities because that is exactly what the game requires. Apart from the international pavilions, the comprehensive programme will include thematic weeks, celebrations of the national days of the participating countries, as well as through numerous specialised programmes like education. “At this point, we can't know exactly how a country will present itself to visitors, but our task is to oblige them to create exciting and inherently community-engaging content. The goal is for everyone to actively participate in EXPO 2027 in order to realise the vision of the exhibition" emphasised the Company Director.

EXPO should inspire people and motivate them to learn about other cultures and traditions, so, knowing that the tango is the dance of Argentina, we can imagine that tens of thousands of people will learn to tango on organised courses before the beginning of EXPO2027Belgrade. A fantastic image would be sent from Belgrade if so many people from different parts of the world enjoyed a joint activity at the exhibition itself as part of Argentina's national day, promoting one's heritage and culture. In the same way, we can also hope that, here on Serbian soil, we see the Brazilian Carnival or Australian sports children's games, and there is no doubt that there will be highly creative proposals among the 120 countries that have expressed an interest. “We are sure that EXPO2027Belgrade will be impressive and unforgettable, and we are very happy about it; we are especially looking forward to the interpretation of the theme through the eyes of the whole world,” concluded Borovčanin.