Minnesota USA Expo 2027
Better luck next time, Bloomington.
The Bureau International des Expositions today selected Belgrade, Serbia, to host what used to be known as the World’s Fair and today is called the Specialized World Expo. Bloomington was in the running to host Expo 2027, making this somewhat deflating news for Minnesotans.
“We want to congratulate Serbia on its selection as host of the 2027 World Expo in Belgrade,” Minnesota USA Expo 2027 tweeted. Another tweet from the organization, crediting Minnesota USA World Expo bid committee co-chair Bob Clark, read, “While we’re disappointed that we will not have the opportunity to host the world this time, we congratulate Serbia on their successful bid for Expo 2027. We know that they will create a memorable Expo experience.”
Some 14 million visitors are estimated to attend the three-month event, which is also expected to create nearly 30,000 jobs. Bloomington’s South Loop development district was one of five sites worldwide considered as the host site. Bloomington finished third in the voting, behind Serbia and second-place location Malaga, Spain. Representatives from all five potential host cities were in Paris this week to lobby for their location.
Minnesota’s bid to host the event started in 2014 when a committee including Walter Mondale, Arne Carlson, and Marilyn Carlson Nelson formed to develop the idea. The White House then agreed to advance Minnesota as the potential U.S. location. In 2017, the state lost its bid for the 2023 Expo.
With the theme of “Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All,” Bloomington’s latest bid highlighted the importance of health and medicine at a global level and spotlighted Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, its medical technology firms, and its health care community in general. Bloomington’s freeway access, close proximity to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and connection to the light rail also made it a viable location.
Expo 2027 will be an international exhibition showcasing the achievements of various nations in the realms of technology, art, culture, and science. The United States last hosted the expo in New Orleans in 1984, when more than 7 million visitors attended. The most recent Expo took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from October 2021 to March 2022, and Osaka, Japan, will kick off the next World Expo in April 2025.
Other candidates to host in 2027 were Phuket, Thailand, with the theme of “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity”; Malaga, Spain, with the theme of “The Urban Era: Toward the Sustainable City”; and San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, with the theme of “Nature + Technology = Sustainable Energy: A Viable Future for Humanity.” Belgrade, Serbia, campaigned under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All.”
