The Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, inaugurated the “Play with IT” Festival at the Residence, a flagship initiative of the Italian Embassy in Serbia’s integrated promotion programme for 2026.
The Festival was established following the designation of Belgrade as the Capital of Italian Creativity in the World 2026 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and forms part of the lead-up strategy to EXPO Belgrade 2027, Serbia’s principal international event for the coming year. “Play with IT” presents itself as a true “Expo before the Expo”, with the aim of building and strengthening the partnerships that will support the activities of the Italy Pavilion in 2027.
Organised by the Italian Embassy in Serbia, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute and ICE, and with the contribution of the Sistema Italia network and a wide range of partners, the event saw strong attendance and significant media coverage, confirming the longstanding ties and shared commitment to innovation between Italy and Serbia.
The Festival celebrates and promotes the richness of Italian creativity worldwide, highlighting its cultural, artistic and innovative connections. From April to June, Belgrade will be transformed into a hub of creativity, thanks to a series of five events dedicated to design and fashion, sport, music, technology and food. The central theme is play, understood as a driver of innovation and shared imagination: the Serbian public will thus have the opportunity to “play” together with numerous Italian and local partners, fostering new synergies and emotional connections with Italy’s creative heritage. Numerous partners have contributed to the organisation of the various initiatives, sharing their experience of how Italian creativity represents a key driver of development and innovation in their respective sectors, shaping the spirit of the Festival. 
“This Festival demonstrates the vitality of Italian creativity and the strong cultural bond between Italy and Serbia, which we intend to continue developing in view of EXPO 2027,” stated Ambassador Luca Gori. “Italy’s commitment does not stop at the Pavilion; it seeks to move ahead of schedule in order to ensure the success of the Exhibition and to create concrete opportunities for the excellence of Made in Italy.”
The first event of the “Play with IT” Festival will take place as early as Wednesday 15 April at the Silosi in Belgrade, featuring the fashion and design exhibition “Future Makers – New Visions for the Fashion of Tomorrow”, a creative dialogue between Serbian and Italian talents, in collaboration with NABA – Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti in Milan and Belgrade Fashion Week.