MALAGA AND MINNESOTA: TWO MAJOR PLANS THAT SHOW HOW SERIOUS THE RACE FOR EXPO 2027 WAS

Two days before the third anniversary of Belgrade’s selection as the host of Expo 2027, we look back at two strong rival candidates — Malaga and Bloomington, Minnesota. Malaga submitted its bid under the theme “The Urban Era: Towards the Sustainable City”, with a plan to present a sustainable city model across 25 hectares of exhibition space within a wider area of around 80 hectares. The project was expected to generate an economic impact worth several billion euros, create tens of thousands of jobs and leave a new urban legacy for Andalusia. The bid was supported by the local government, the Andalusian authorities, the business sector, universities and national diplomacy, while Antonio Banderas gave it additional global visibility.

Bloomington developed the United States’ bid around the theme “Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Health and Well-Being for All”, connecting human and planetary health with science, medicine, innovation and ecology. The plan was supported by its proximity to the Mall of America, an international airport, developed infrastructure and the idea of transforming the site into a new hub for innovation and entrepreneurship after Expo, along with broad political, business, academic and diplomatic support. In contrast to these plans, Belgrade placed sport and music at the heart of its bid, presenting them as universal languages accessible to audiences, children, young people, artists, athletes, schools and families. This is why 21 June remains the date that showed that, in an international competition, it is not always the biggest that wins, but the one that offers a message others recognise as their own.