History of World Expos
World Expos have been held since 1851 and are organised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). There are large "World" Expos and smaller "Specialised" Expos - the category Belgrade 2027 belongs to. Here is a chronology of the most important ones, by era.
19th century - the birth of World Expos
| Year | City | Country | Theme / highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | London | United Kingdom | The first World Expo - Crystal Palace |
| 1855 | Paris | France | France's first World Expo |
| 1873 | Vienna | Austria | The great Rotunda |
| 1876 | Philadelphia | USA | Centennial of US independence |
| 1889 | Paris | France | Eiffel Tower built for the fair |
| 1893 | Chicago | USA | The "White City" - World's Columbian Exposition |
| 1900 | Paris | France | 19th-century record - about 50 million |
20th century - pavilions and city symbols
| Year | City | Country | Theme / highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Barcelona | Spain | German Pavilion (Mies van der Rohe) |
| 1933 | Chicago | USA | "A Century of Progress" |
| 1939 | New York | USA | "World of Tomorrow" |
| 1958 | Brussels | Belgium | The Atomium |
| 1962 | Seattle | USA | The Space Needle |
| 1967 | Montreal | Canada | Expo 67 - "Man and His World" |
| 1970 | Osaka | Japan | First Expo in Asia |
| 1992 | Seville | Spain | "The Age of Discovery" |
| 1998 | Lisbon | Portugal | Specialised Expo - the oceans |
| 2000 | Hannover | Germany | "Humankind, Nature, Technology" |
21st century - sustainability, mega-events and Belgrade
| Year | City | Country | Theme / highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Aichi | Japan | "Nature's Wisdom" |
| 2008 | Zaragoza | Spain | Specialised Expo - water |
| 2010 | Shanghai | China | All-time record - over 73 million |
| 2012 | Yeosu | South Korea | Specialised Expo - the oceans |
| 2015 | Milan | Italy | "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" |
| 2017 | Astana | Kazakhstan | Specialised Expo - future energy |
| 2020 | Dubai | UAE | First in the Middle East (held 2021-2022) |
| 2025 | Osaka | Japan | "Designing Future Society for Our Lives" |
| 2027 | BelgradeExpo 2027 | Serbia | Specialised Expo - sport and music for all |
| 2030 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | The next World Expo |
Coming to Expo 2027?
Book your stay in Belgrade in time - summer 2027 will be the busiest.
Browse apartments →