The Republic of Burundi, an East African country located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, has officially confirmed its participation in the Expo 2027 Belgrade, with the theme "Play for Humanity: Sports and Music for All".

Situated in the region of the great African lakes, on the western extension of the Great Rift Valley, this country first participated in Expo 1993 Daejeon and has since been a regular participant in World and Specialized Expos. Burundi became a Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member in 2008 and will also take part in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

One of the most significant cultural symbols of this country is the drum, an inheritance from the Royal Drummers of Burundi, a group of musicians who play, sing, and dance in perfect synchrony, creating a grand spectacle. Historically, drummers often performed for royal families, announced the start or end of the day, and played during special events. This tradition remains alive today, with all important occasions still being celebrated with drumming performances.

Due to its importance to Burundi, UNESCO inscribed the ritual dance of the royal drum on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014, providing further recognition of the cultural wealth of this country, which is also known for producing Arabica coffee.

The most popular sport in Burundi is football, and one of the most famous footballers from the country is Shabani Nonda. To fans of the most important secondary thing in the world in Serbia, this player remained known as the scorer of the only goal for Roma, in the match that the famous Italian club lost to Red Star Belgrade in 2005 in the then UEFA Cup (today's Europa League).

Burundi gained independence in 1962, and that same year, Serbia (then Yugoslavia) established official diplomatic relations with the country. Bilateral relations are friendly, and mutual visits of state officials were recorded in 2018 and 2019.

"Serbia will have the great honor and privilege of hosting friends from East Africa, who will bring their world-famous drum sounds to the heart of Europe. We are very excited that our country will be the center of African culture in 2027, and that we will have the opportunity to see, hear, and experience UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. We invite the remaining countries from this continent to follow Burundi's example and apply for Expo 2027 Belgrade so that we can send a message from the Serbian capital that music, dance, and sport unite the world", said Dušan Borovčanin, CEO of EXPO 2027 d.o.o. Belgrade.

Expo 2027 Belgrade will take place from May 15 to August 15, 2027, with the participation of over 120 countries and more than four million visitors.