Expo 2027 Belgrade will need thousands of people on the ground every day of its 93-day run, and the volunteer side of that workforce is filling up faster than planned. Danilo Jerinić, director of the state company EXPO 2027, told RTS last week that more than 18,000 people from over 140 countries have applied to volunteer, including more than 3,000 applicants from abroad. Tanjug carried the interview on 23 October.
The original goal was 20,000 applicants. Jerinić said that ceiling could be raised because of the level of interest, though no new figure has been announced.
How the Expo 2027 Belgrade volunteer programme works
The programme, branded Expo Playmakers, opened for applications on 15 May 2026. According to the organiser and N1's report at the launch, it covers:
- 48 different roles, from visitor and delegation services to logistics, event operations and support for international participant teams;
- adults only – applicants must turn 18 by 15 April 2027;
- a minimum of 15 days of availability during the exhibition, which runs from 15 May to 15 August 2027;
- training, with selection and preparation at their most intensive between September 2026 and April 2027.
Volunteers are not paid. Instead they get a uniform, a welcome package, training and a certificate, plus extra ECTS credits for students, Air Serbia discounts of up to 27%, Telekom Srbija benefits and free travel on selected Srbijavoz rail services while they hold a valid accreditation. Applications go through the platform at join.volunteer.expobelgrade2027.org. No closing date has been published.
What it means for event firms and contractors
For companies that build, run or staff events, the volunteer numbers are useful context rather than competition. Volunteers will guide visitors and support delegations; they will not rig stages, run sound desks, build stands or work as paid hostesses in national pavilions.
That paid work is being bought separately. In July, EXPO 2027 launched a turnkey tender for technical production that explicitly includes hiring production and technical staff for the Auditorium, the World Stage, the Best Practices stage, the National Day stage, seven pop-up stages for international participants and the sports fields. Participating countries are also hiring their own pavilion teams and suppliers.
A few practical points follow from this:
- Summer 2027 labour will be tight. With about 10,000 events planned over 93 days, crews, technicians, interpreters and hospitality staff in Belgrade will be in demand well beyond the Expo site. Firms with other summer events should lock in people early.
- Training overlaps with the busy season. The volunteer training window runs through April 2027, the same months when pavilion fit-out and rehearsals peak.
- Language skills sell. With more than 3,000 foreign volunteer applicants and delegations from around 140 countries, suppliers who can offer multilingual crew leads will have an edge with foreign pavilions.
Other numbers from the same interview
Jerinić also said that nearly 800 Serbian companies have registered on the Expo business platform, where local firms can offer services from pavilion construction and maintenance to security, accounting, legal and marketing. Organisers expect around 50,000 business meetings during the exhibition. Monaco, Russia and Saudi Arabia were described as ready to take over their pavilions, with the remaining handovers targeted for 1 December.
Details of volunteer shifts, accommodation for foreign volunteers and the final number to be selected have not yet been published. We will follow up when the organiser releases them.
Sources
- www.tanjug.rs
- expobelgrade2027.org
- n1info.rs
- biznis.kurir.rs
Photo: Nikola Aleksic / Unsplash licence / source
