How many countries are taking part in Expo 2027?
As of 2026, 137 countries have formally committed to Expo 2027 Belgrade. That is the figure on the official Participants page, which carries a note that more are coming, and it is the same number reported at the second International Participants Meeting held in Belgrade in April 2026, where around 500 delegates gathered to plan their national presence.
Read that 137 as a snapshot, not a final total. The count has climbed steadily: roughly 94 in May 2025, then 114–118 by mid-2025 (the organisers cited 114 countries after the first International Planning Meeting in June 2025, rising to 117–118), 120 in September 2025, and 137 by early–mid 2026. The organisers describe it as still growing, so the number you see today may already be higher tomorrow.
This total already exceeds the previous Specialised Expo, Astana 2017, which hosted between 115 and 117 participating countries. By participant count, that makes Serbia a record holder for a Specialised Expo. Serbia's original stated target was 100 countries by the end of 2025, later revised upward toward 120 or more — and the actual count overshot both goals.
Which countries are on the Expo 2027 list?
The named participants confirmed on the official list span every region. Examples include China, Japan, South Korea, Türkiye, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, Russia, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, Venezuela, and many small island and African states.
A note of honesty: the official Participants page lists a large subset of the 137 by name, but it does not yet publish a complete, clean table of every participant — and some names appear with duplicates in the page text. The full public list of all 137 participants, including international organisations, cities and companies, is not yet completely published. There is no official roster of every committed nation in print form as of mid-2026.
Non-official consolidations, such as beinbelgrade.com, aggregate a publicly confirmed list of roughly 80 to 120 countries. These sometimes include states such as the United States, France, the UAE, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan and the Maldives, where participation was announced but the official table did not yet display them. Treat such lists as a useful cross-reference, not as the official record.
Is my country participating in Expo 2027?
The honest answer is: the best way to confirm is the official Participants page at expobelgrade2027.org/en/participants. With 137 nations committed and counting, most major economies and a wide spread of smaller states are taking part — but because the official list is published as a partial, sometimes-duplicated set of names rather than a tidy table, absence from what you can see today does not always mean absence from the event.
If your country appears among the named examples above, it is confirmed. If it does not, check two places: the official page first, then a non-official tracker such as beinbelgrade.com, which has captured press announcements (the United States, France, the UAE, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan, the Maldives and others) ahead of the official table. Where you find a country announced in the press but not yet on the official page, read it as reported-but-not-yet-officially-listed rather than confirmed.
How does participation work?
Each participating country is expected to have a designated National Day and the opportunity to present itself through a pavilion, exhibitions, events, innovations, culture and cuisine. The country tie is one reason this event matters beyond tourism.
The legal framework is the Agreement on Privileges and Benefits, signed between Serbia and the BIE. It establishes customs and tax relief, the legal status of national commissioner offices, recognition of driving licences, and a "one-stop shop" for administrative formalities. Each participating country has a national commissioner and a legally recognised office in Serbia during the Expo. There is also an "Expo visa," issued free of charge, that allows accredited Expo participants and staff to live and work in Serbia for the Expo period — this is for participants, not for general visitors.
Reported terms suggest that, under the contracts, participating countries select pavilion locations and must establish legal entities, open bank accounts, hire staff, and manage logistics such as importing exhibits and construction materials. That detail comes from coverage quoting the organisers rather than a published contract, so read it as reported rather than confirmed.
How are the Expo 2027 pavilions organised?
The master plan, by Fenwick Iribarren Architects, organises international participants into pavilions within the 25-hectare Surčin site, alongside three thematic pavilions and a Forum. Early design descriptions reference seven large pavilions housing participating countries, plus an outdoor area of collapsible national pavilions.
The exhibition is laid out in three main zones:
- The Thematic Area — built around Expo 2027's pillars of education, music, sport and innovation, housing the thematic pavilions where the central "Play" theme is told.
- The International Participant Area — where the participating countries' national pavilions sit. This zone becomes the new permanent home of the Belgrade Fair and is described as housing the 130-plus national pavilions.
- The Best Practice and Corporate Area — a showcase of real-world solutions (cities, companies and communities) rather than concepts, reported as around 45 modular timber pavilions arranged along the main promenade on a uniform 9×9-metre grid, with green roofs.
The three zones are designed to interconnect for a seamless visitor route through the site. A handful of countries have signalled their pavilion plans, all of which should be read as announced intentions rather than finished designs:
- Germany launched a public tender for its temporary pavilion, reported at around €7.5 million, contributing under the sub-theme "Play for Progress."
- Italy is reported by its foreign ministry and its ambassador to Serbia to be preparing one of the largest pavilions, focused on people — meeting Italian athletes, musicians, researchers and students — built on five principles.
- The UAE has confirmed participation, framing it as strengthening international cooperation.
- Saudi Arabia signed its participation contract, with a pavilion reportedly planned around Vision 2030 themes of sport, culture and creative industries.
What's still unknown
Several things visitors often ask about have not yet been announced. Detailed architectural concepts, interior designs and themes for most national pavilions have not been publicly unveiled as of mid-2026. The schedule of National Days — which country appears on which date — has not been published either. And the complete, official list of all 137 participants remains partial: despite the second International Participants Meeting in April 2026, no clean, full roster of every committed nation has been put into print.
If you're planning a trip around the event, it's worth checking back as these details firm up; meanwhile, our Visit Belgrade guide covers the city itself. The picture for Expo 2027 is genuinely strong on commitment and still developing on the specifics — which is exactly what you'd expect at this stage.
