Auckland, New Zealand - Feb 8, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Event promoting 2026 Spring Festival Gala by China Media Group (CMG) in progress
2. Various of Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, former Speaker of New Zealand Parliament David Carter, other guests addressing event at podium, CMG president Shen Haixiong addressing event via video link, attendees
3. Screen showing promo video of gala
4. Various of souvenirs featuring Year of the Horse, visitors
5. Various of Mamianqun (horse-faced skirts) on display, people dressed in Mamianqun, posing for photos, other souvenirs
6. Various of music, dance performances in progress, attendees
7. Various of traffic, buildings

The China Media Group (CMG) launched a promotional event for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.

The "Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala -- The World Watches the CMG Gala Together" event gathered 200 guests from China and New Zealand to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year and experience the traditional Chinese culture.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, former Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament and Honorary Chairman of the New Zealand-China Friendship Society David Carter, and representatives from Tourism New Zealand were among the attendees.
The gathering featured cultural performances that highlighted the mutual appreciation between Chinese and New Zealand arts, as well as the exhibition and sale of the Year of the Horse cultural and creative products and an experience activity of Mamianqun, or horse-face skirt.

The CMG has held the "Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala" event for three years in a row.

The Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been a major cultural symbol for the Chinese New Year celebrations in China since its debut in 1983, and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.

The gala, set to be aired on the Chinese New Year's Eve on Feb 16 this year, will combine traditional Chinese culture with modern stagecraft, as well as cross-cultural performances featuring international artists.