Crowds in Osaka, Queues in front of the “Floating Forest”: Why It Is Realistic for Expo 2027 Belgrade to Welcome Six Milion Visitors
If you have perhaps thought, or heard in the recent months, that International Exhibitions are a thing of the past and that “nobody goes to Expos anymore,” all you have to do is look at the scenes from Osaka. Every day, more than 200,000 people pass through the gates of Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, with the record broken in mid-September when more than 218,000 visits were recorded in a single day. By 12 September, the organisers of World Expo 2025 Osaka had sold as many as 21.4 million tickets – well above the break-even point of around 18 million. This means that the total costs of organising and building the infrastructure have already been fully covered, and the media reports that everything from now on represents pure profit and long-term benefit for the host.
Nevertheless, in Serbia, doubts are occasionally voiced – from opposition critics claiming that this is an overly expensive and risky undertaking, to comments on social media questioning whether Expo 2027 will, in fact, attract millions of visitors. That is precisely why the experience from Osaka refutes the claim that “the crowds are fabricated” or that Expo is losing its relevance. On the contrary, the queues in Japan demonstrate that this event remains one of the largest cultural and business spectacles in the world.
Belgrade, alongside Astana, Zaragoza, and Yeosu
Serbia in 2027 is not hosting a World Expo, but a Specialised Expo – a format which lasts for three months and which has historically recorded between four and eight million visits. Astana 2017 attracted around four million visitors, Zaragoza 2008 nearly six million, and Yeosu 2012 more than eight million. When the organisers of Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade state that they expect around six million visitors, they are not referring to wishful thinking, but to verified results of the previous hosts.
One only needs to look at Serbia’s own experience in Osaka: the multi-award-winning Serbian Pavilion “Floating Forest” has already been visited by almost 900,000 people, with estimates suggesting that the number of visits will exceed one million by the end of the Expo. This is more than a strong reference point for a country like ours and proof that Serbia has much to showcase to the world.
An International Exhibition is a magnet for the public
By its very nature, Expo is a global event attracting visitors from all corners of the world. Although in Osaka the majority of the audience consists of domestic and regional guests, as many as 13 per cent come from abroad, which means millions of people travelling thousands of kilometres to be part of the event. For Belgrade 2027, this is a clear signal that, in addition to domestic and regional audiences, a strong influx of visitors from Europe and other parts of the world is also expected – and such a combination makes the target of six million more than fully achievable.
Dubai is an example that this is a realistic forecast: Expo 2020 recorded more than 24 million visits, with a significant percentage comprising international audiences – in some months, up to 28 per cent of visitors arrived directly from abroad. This trend shows that, when the offer is globally positioned and attractive, the world comes of its own accord. In the same way, Serbia in 2027 will become a destination attracting millions, not only from the region but from across the globe.
The crowds in Osaka and the records from Dubai demonstrate that the world still believes in the magic of Expo. In 2027, Serbia faces a historic challenge – and a unique opportunity. This is the moment when we become more than hosts: Belgrade becomes a global stage for innovation, culture, and hospitality. Expo 2027 is not merely an event – it is a historic turning point placing Serbia on the map of the future, as a country capable of attracting the world, uniting it through play, and leaving a legacy for generations to come.