The city of Leskovac recently announced plans to undertake significant reconstruction projects aimed at potentially participating in EXPO 2027, which will be hosted in Belgrade. These plans involve revamping the city core, waterfront, cultural and administrative buildings, as well as upgrading traffic and pedestrian zones. However, the official guidelines for EXPO exhibitions indicate that only 25 hectares of exhibition space are allowed, and specialized exhibitions, like EXPO 2027, have traditionally been confined to a single city.
The specialized EXPO, according to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), is a global event focused on addressing specific challenges. Belgrade’s EXPO 2027, under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All,” was officially chosen to host the event in June 2023. The city of Leskovac is not mentioned as a participant on the official EXPO 2027 website, which limits involvement to countries and international organizations, not individual cities.
Leskovac could potentially present projects within Serbia’s national pavilion, but it cannot have its own exhibition space. The city’s desire to integrate itself into the EXPO is at odds with the international regulations for specialized exhibitions, which restrict the exhibition space and participation.
Despite these constraints, the city continues to work on its development in hopes of contributing to EXPO 2027 as part of Serbia’s broader participation, though it is unclear how this will align with the event’s official framework. The event will be held in Surčin, Belgrade and Leskovac, located over 270 kilometers away, is unlikely to be a priority for the construction of additional accommodation spaces.
