FROM MY PERSPECTIVE: DANILO JERINIĆ, DIRECTOR OF EXPO 2027 The world is arriving in Belgrade: the road to Expo 2027 Despite more than a century and a half having elapsed between London in 1851 and Belgrade in 2027, the idea has remained the same: the Expo is a place for the world to come together and dream about the future. And that future will soon arrive in our country... The genuine world spectacle that was Expo 2025 Osaka concluded recent- ly. Over the course of six months, this world exhibition brought together 29 million visitors who came from all around the planet. As I can personal- ly confirm, the final days of the event saw kilometre-long queues and sold- out tickets that testified to just how much this concept is alive and kicking,
and how much humankind still needs to gather, meet and exchange ideas. Ex- po 2025 Osaka was a celebration of cre- ativity and cooperation, but its conclu- sion shifts the focus of world exposition attention to Serbia. The next Expo will be hosted by Belgrade, with the city set to welcome representatives of more than 120 countries and millions of visi- tors between May and August 2027.
there participating in Shanghai, Mi- lan, Dubai and Osaka. Serbia’s “Float- ing Forest” pavilion at Expo 2025 Osa- ka, inspired by Belgrade’s Great War Island, became one of the event’s most popular attractions. More than a mil- lion people passed through the mul- ti-award-winning Serbian pavilion, which symbolised sustainability, crea- tivity and openness – values that will also characterise our own upcoming Expo. Belgrade will host the Specialised Ex- hibition from 15 th May to 15 th Au- gust 2027, under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All”. A new Expo quarter is emerging on an area of 25 hectares and will repre- sent a space where culture, technolo- gy, sports, music and sustainable de- velopment intertwine. More than four million visitors are expected to at- tend, including more than a million tourists, while the Expo will include more than eight thousand events, ranging from concerts and lectures to interactive installations and sporting activities. Expo 2027 is an opportunity for Ser- bia to showcase to the world its tradi- tion and culture, and everything that makes us good hosts. Once the Expo concludes, the new Belgrade Fair, mu- seum quarter, schools, sports halls and green spaces will remain. This will create an enduring legacy that will change the face of the city and the lives of its residents.
However, do we really know what the Expo is?
The world exposition global movement has been bringing countries togeth- er around the idea of progress, shar- ing knowledge and discussing the fu- ture for 170 years. The first World’s Fair was held in London in 1851 and rep- resented a celebration of human inge- nuity, becoming the place where many people first saw the telegraph, electric lamp, lift/elevator and even a precursor to the telephone. By experiencing the Expo, one could “walk" into the future: it was these exhibitions that first pre- sented to the public technological ad- vancements that have changed the way we live. The modern World Expo isn’t merely an exhibition of innovations, but also an invitation to engage in dia- logue, cooperation and understanding between nations. Serbia has been part of this story for 140 years From our country’s first participation in Antwerp back in 1885, Serbia was
Welcome to Expo 2027 Belgrade!
In focus » U fokusu | 27
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