Disappointment as Malaga loses bid to host Expo 2027
Countries voting at the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris chose Belgrade as the host city of the international event
J. Hinojosa / F. Jiménez
Malaga.
Friday, 23 June 2023, 11:32
Hopes had been high among the people of Malaga and their politicians, but it was not to be. The city was not chosen to host an expo in 2027 at the decision-making meeting in Paris on Wednesday this week. Instead, Belgrade in Serbia won the right to stage the event.
Malaga came close, within 11 votes of winning. The city's high-profile mayor, Francisco de la Torre, expressed his disappointment at the outcome at a press conference at Spain's embassy in Paris after the decision. He had travelled with the Andalusian regional president, Juanma Moreno, the Spanish foreign minister and other officials to the French capital to make a last presentation to the Bureau International des Expositions, which coordinates world expos. Belgrade got 81 votes and Malaga 70 in the final, fourth-round of voting.
De la Torre said he felt that the city had had the best bid and that "geopolitical factors" had come into play in the run-off vote by the delegates of the 179 member countries. The Serbian president had been in Paris for five days ahead of the meeting to influence delegates.
"Life goes on"
"We came very close to getting it and we need to feel great satisfaction and pride in that. Life goes on and we have the same love and passion for our city," the mayor said.
Foreign minister José Manuel Albares said that, despite the disappointment, his lasting memory was the "unity" of the public authorities at all levels in backing the bid and "how Malaga's name had travelled the world" as a result.
Belgrade's winning bid had centred on the theme of Play for Humanity - Sports and Music for All and involved the construction of a national stadium and exhibition centre as part of the site.
Malaga's bid centred on the theme of The Urban Era: Towards a Sustainable City, and would have developed a site on the western outskirts of the city with the help of British architects Ove Arup.
In its final presentation, the city included a virtual reality tour of the proposed site and video contributions from top Spanish sportspeople.
Other world cities that presented candidacies were Phuket in Thailand, Bloomington in the United States and Bariloche in Argentina.
A group of people, including city councillors, followed the events in Paris via a large-screen link in a marquee next to the Roman theatre in Malaga city centre.
One councillor, Teresa Porras, visibly upset by the result, said, "We will keep on growing with everybody's efforts."
