More than 7,400 candidates have applied so far for the volunteer program of the Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade, including 1,025 people from more than 62 countries. These figures show that interest in the forthcoming exhibition extends far beyond Serbia’s borders and that Belgrade is already attracting people from different parts of the world during the preparatory stage.
The largest numbers of international applications have come from Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, North Macedonia, Austria, Switzerland, Japan and Montenegro. However, the full list of countries is considerably broader, giving the volunteer program a distinctly international character from the outset.
Strong Interest Among Young People from Abroad
The fact that more than 1,000 international candidates have applied is significant because it shows that Expo 2027 has attracted not only people from Serbia and neighbouring countries. Applicants are coming from several continents, including countries located far from Belgrade. 
International candidates currently account for approximately 14 per cent of all applicants. In other words, almost one in seven applications has come from abroad, even though applications remain open and the exhibition is still slightly less than ten months away.
The international composition of the volunteer team is one of the indicators of the exhibition’s global reach. Expo 2017 Astana engaged 4,500 volunteers from 35 countries. Belgrade has already attracted candidates from more than 62 countries, showing that it is not lagging behind previous hosts of specialised exhibitions in terms of the geographical spread of interest.
It should, however, be emphasised that the Belgrade figure refers to applicants, while the Astana figure represents the final number of volunteers who were selected and engaged. The figures should therefore not be presented as fully equivalent indicators, although they do provide a useful measure of the scale of interest.
What Will the Volunteers Do?
Throughout the 93 days of Expo 2027, volunteers will form part of the organisational team and will be among the first points of contact between visitors and Belgrade and Serbia. They will welcome guests, provide information and assistance, take part in pavilion operations, program activities and protocol, and support numerous other organisational tasks.
Experience from previous exhibitions shows that volunteer responsibilities extend far beyond directing visitors. At Expo 2020 Dubai, volunteers helped manage entrances and school visits, welcomed officials, supported national pavilions, provided translation and visitor information, and assisted with a wide range of events.
Volunteers therefore provide more than technical support; they also represent the host country. For many international visitors, they will be the first people they speak to upon arriving at the exhibition.
How Volunteer Programs Worked at Previous Expos
The scale of volunteer programs varies depending on the type of exhibition, its duration and the size of the host country.
At the Specialised Expo 2017 Astana, 4,500 volunteers from 35 countries were engaged, together with 150 supervisors. Belgrade has already exceeded that figure by almost 3,000 applicants during the application stage, while applications are still open.
Interest in the World Expo 2020 Dubai was considerably higher. Organisers received more than 180,000 expressions of interest and selected 30,000 volunteers. Before the exhibition opened, they completed more than 40,000 hours of training.
Expo 2025 Osaka initially planned to recruit 20,000 volunteers, but 55,634 applications were submitted within 96 days. Due to the high level of interest, the organisers increased the number of available volunteer positions to 30,000.
These comparisons show that volunteer programs at major international exhibitions regularly attract more candidates than there are available positions. With more than 7,400 applications, Belgrade has already created a strong basis for a rigorous selection process and the formation of an international team. The final scale of the program will become clear once applications and selection have been completed.
Belgrade Is Keeping Pace with Previous Host Cities
The current figure of 7,400 applications cannot yet be directly compared with the final results recorded in Osaka or Dubai, which hosted larger and longer world exhibitions. A more accurate comparison for Belgrade is Astana, the previous host of a specialised Expo.
Astana ultimately engaged 4,500 volunteers, while Belgrade has already received more than 7,400 applications. The international reach is even more notable: Astana’s volunteers came from 35 countries, while applications for Belgrade have already arrived from more than 62 countries.
This does not mean that Belgrade has already surpassed previous exhibitions in terms of the final number of volunteers engaged. It does, however, show that it is keeping pace with international practice when it comes to early interest and global reach.
Why Volunteer Experience Matters for Young People
For young people, participation in the volunteer program provides an opportunity to gain experience in organising a major international event, use foreign languages and work with people from different cultural and professional backgrounds.
Previous Expo programs show that volunteers are prepared for specific roles through training in communication, protocol, visitor assistance, problem-solving and event organisation. In Dubai, for example, selected volunteers were required to complete a structured preparation program, while candidates in Astana were also trained to handle conflict situations.
Applications for the Expo 2027 volunteer program remain open. Future volunteers will have the opportunity to join the team that will represent Belgrade and Serbia to guests from around the world throughout the 93-day exhibition.
Photo: EXPO 2027 d.o.o. Beograd
