EXPO 2027 for Belgrade Residents and Expats: Traffic, Rents and What Changes

The organiser currently says "more than 4 million" expected visits. Older estimates were 2.5 to 3 million, so treat any figure as an estimate.

The site itself is about 15 km from the centre and about 5 km from the airport, according to planning and media reports. Most disruption is therefore in Surčin, around the airport and on routes from New Belgrade and Zemun, not in Stari Grad or Vračar. Our guide to the best neighbourhoods to live in Belgrade covers the areas in more depth.

What is being built

The organiser lists a €1.29 billion total that includes the grounds, an aquatic centre, the rail link, roads and utilities, a river dock on the Sava and a residential complex. Most of this work is in the Surčin and airport area, so expect construction traffic there through 2026 and into spring 2027.

Next to the Expo, the 52,000-seat National Stadium is still under construction. Danas, citing a Forbes Srbija site visit, reported in July 2026 that the stadium will not be ready for the Expo, that works pause from mid-May to mid-August 2027, and that completion is now expected in early 2028.

Traffic during the Expo

No official traffic plan, road closure list or visitor parking plan has been published. The only daily figures come from media: RTS reported an estimate of around 60,000 visitors a day on weekdays and 120,000 at weekends. That estimate is not official, but it suggests weekends will be the busiest days on the routes to Surčin.

The airport and the Expo share the same corner of the city, so if you fly often, plan for Expo weekends once a traffic plan is out. Visitor routes are in our guide on how to get to Expo 2027.

The new rail line

The Zemun Polje–Airport–National Stadium/EXPO railway is 18.3 km long, double-track and electrified. B92 lists five stations: Zemun Polje, Singidunum (near Dobanovci), Nikola Tesla Airport (500 m from Terminal 1, with a pedestrian bridge), Surčin and National Stadium/EXPO. Announced travel times are 15–20 minutes from Zemun Polje and about 30 minutes from Prokop.

The opening date has moved. Older statements said the end of 2026; newer reports say testing from January or February 2027 and operation in spring 2027. Trains are to run every 15 minutes during the Expo. For residents of Zemun and Surčin, this is a permanent rail link to the airport once it opens.

Electric buses

The Expo transport plan includes 100 Higer electric buses. Sustainable Bus reported that they go to GSP Belgrade, the city operator, after the Expo, with charging points at Ustanička, Belgrade Waterfront, Block 20, Block 45, Vukov spomenik and the airport. During the Expo, some will run from Block 45 in New Belgrade and from the stadium station to the site. Routes, timetables and fares have not been published.

Belgrade city transport has been free since 1 January 2025; our public transport guide explains how the network works today.

The metro is not coming in time

Belgrade Metro Line 1 will not be ready for the Expo. Nova Ekonomija reported that the first line will not open before the end of 2030, with the budget cut because the Expo is the priority.

We have not found any official or reliable figure for how much the Expo will affect long-term rents in Belgrade, so we do not give one.

Published figures cover visitor accommodation supply. They differ by year and by what is counted:

• About 120 hotels and 7,500 rooms, reported by Danas in October 2024, which also reported that accommodation prices are expected to correct after the Expo.
• Bloomberg Adria reported that hotel capacity would need to grow by 30–40%, or about 3,000 rooms.
• RTS reported in May 2026 about 15,000 beds in registered private accommodation and an estimated 10,000 or more unregistered units, and said villas within 100 km of Belgrade are also expected to be used.

Private flats are clearly part of how visitors will be housed, but no source has put a number on what that does to residents' rents. If your lease comes up for renewal in spring 2027, our guide to renting an apartment in Belgrade covers contracts and negotiation, and our cost of living guide gives current price levels.

The one published data point on property comes from Vreme: the price per square metre in Surčin rose by up to 15% after the Expo was announced, and purchases in Surčin in the first quarter of 2024 were 32% higher than a year earlier. Forecasts of further rises online come from investor sales blogs, not independent data.

The site's after-use plan includes 1,500 housing units; sales details have not been part of the sources we reviewed. This is information, not investment advice.

Both supporters and critics are on the record:

• The government presents the Expo as the start of a new urban district with full after-use of the site.
• The official Expo budget is €1.29 billion. Balkan Insight reported that the wider "Leap into the Future" investment package, which includes the stadium and other projects, is about €17.8 billion.
• A special law exempts Expo projects from standard public procurement rules. The same Balkan Insight report found that 86% of Expo tenders, worth more than €330 million, had a single bidder. Transparency Serbia has criticised the arrangement.
• Critical responses cited in coverage of the Expo include an environmental warning from the Serbian Academy of Sciences (February 2025), a European Parliament resolution (November 2025) and the European Commission's 2025 Serbia report.
• The Expo became a flagship project during protests that followed the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024, in which 16 people died.

More on the site in our article on the Expo site, the stadium and its legacy.

Volunteering

The official volunteer programme, Expo Playmakers, wants more than 20,000 people for at least 15 days each. Residents and foreigners can both apply if they are 18 by 15 April 2027. Our Expo 2027 volunteer guide covers eligibility and how to apply.

Paid work

We found no central official jobs portal. Paid work is expected to come through national pavilions, contractors, caterers, security firms and new hotels (Nova.rs reported 1,500–2,000 new hotel units under construction). We have not verified any official recruitment call, so be wary of job adverts using the Expo name.

Business

The organiser signed an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia on 17 September 2026, and the Serbian House pavilion will present Serbian regions and municipalities, including investment. Business programme details are not out yet; watch the official news page.

The published estimates point to more visitors than a normal summer, with weekends busiest on the Surčin side. No reliable price forecasts for restaurants, taxis or accommodation have been published, so treat any percentage you see as speculation.

After 15 August 2027, the site is meant to become the New Belgrade Fairgrounds, an Expo museum, a National Centre for Sport and Physical Activity, three schools, three kindergartens, about 20 sports halls and housing. The rail line and electric buses stay in service.