Italy signed its pavilion contract in April 2026 and is planning an immersive experience around the sub-theme "Play together" — how sport, music and innovation drive social cohesion — with a dedicated space for Italy's regions and an open sponsorship call.
| Sub-theme | "Play together" — participatory and inclusive approach [source] |
|---|---|
| Status | Participation contract signed 27 Apr 2026 [source] |
| Commissioner | Luca Gori, Ambassador of Italy to Serbia and Section Commissioner [source] |
| Concept | Immersive experience: sport, music and innovation as drivers of cohesion and development; dedicated regions space [source] |
| Sponsorships | Public call open — deadline 31 Aug 2026 [source] |
The contract for the Italian Pavilion was signed on 27 April 2026 by Italy's Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, in his capacity as Section Commissioner, alongside Serbia's Commissioner General, Minister Jagoda Lazarević, and Expo Director Danilo Jerinić. Ambassador Gori described the pavilion as "a space to connect, innovate, and build together, in the spirit of inclusion and the promotion of our creative industry".
The pavilion is planned as an immersive experience exploring how sports, music and innovation drive social cohesion, technological progress and economic development — showcasing Italy's cultural, musical and sporting heritage, and including a dedicated space for Italy's regions. Italy focuses its participation on the Expo sub-theme "Play together", with what the Foreign Ministry calls a participatory and inclusive approach.
In June 2026, the Embassy of Italy in Serbia opened a public notice seeking sponsorships — financial and value-in-kind — for the Italy Pavilion, with a submission deadline of 31 August 2026.
“a space to connect, innovate, and build together, in the spirit of inclusion and the promotion of our creative industry” — Luca Gori, Italian Ambassador to Serbia and Section Commissioner [source]
National pavilions sit in the International Participant Area of the 25-hectare Expo site at Surčin, in the western part of Belgrade — the zone that becomes the city's new Belgrade Fair after the event. The site is about 5 km from Nikola Tesla Airport and roughly 13.5 km southwest of central Belgrade (official planning figures), so if you fly in, you land closer to the Expo grounds than to town. Exact positions within the zones haven't been published yet; we'll add the location when the site plan lands.
An immersive experience exploring how sport, music and innovation drive social cohesion, technological progress and economic development — showcasing Italy's cultural, musical and sporting heritage, with a dedicated space for Italy's regions.
Italy focuses on the Expo sub-theme "Play together", with what the Foreign Ministry describes as a participatory and inclusive approach shaping the national pavilion.
Yes. In June 2026 the Embassy of Italy in Serbia opened a public notice seeking sponsorships — financial and value-in-kind — for the Italy Pavilion, with a submission deadline of 31 August 2026.
More on the Expo: participant tracker · all pavilion profiles · who's coming to Expo 2027 · the full Expo 2027 guide