Rome, Italy - Feb 12, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Hostess speaking at China-Italy film, music concert hosted by China Media Group (CMG)
2. Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli delivering video speech
3. Italian Minister of Sports and Youth Andrea Abodi delivering video speech
4. Mayor of Cortina d'Ampezzo Gianluca Lorenzi delivering video speech
5. Various of guest delivering speech, attendees
6. CMG President Shen Haixiong delivering video speech
7. Various of guest delivering speech, attendees
8. Attendees watching promotional video for CMG's 2026 Spring Festival Gala
9. Promotional video clip
10. Various of concert in progress, attendees
11. Attendees applauding
12. Posters of concert, "China Travel with Chinese Films" campaign, Spring Festival Gala merchandise on display
13. Victor Emmanuel II Monument, pedestrians

A concert linking China's Spring Festival with the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was staged in Rome on Thursday, drawing about 200 participants from different walks of life in Italy, along with Chinese institutions and overseas Chinese community.

China's Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the country's most important holiday. It falls on February 17 this year, coinciding with the Winter Games from February 6 to 22.

Organized by China Media Group (CMG), the country's flagship broadcaster, and co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Italy, the event was part of the "Prelude to Spring Festival Gala: The World Watches the CMG Gala Together" global outreach series.

CMG President Shen Haixiong, Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, Italian Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, mayor of Cortina d'Ampezzo Gianluca Lorenzi, delivered speeches via video link to mark the occasion.

Attendees said that the event highlighted the profound historical roots and cultural richness of China and Italy, and enabled the people of the two countries to understand each other and enhance friendship through cultural exchanges, injecting new vitality into the mutual learning between Chinese and Italian civilizations.

Italian musicians performed the main themes from several outstanding Chinese films released in 2025, including "Nanjing Photo Studio," "Fengshen II: The Battle of Xiqi," "Detective Chinatown 1900," and "Nobody," as well as soundtracks from classic Italian films such as "Cinema Paradiso," "Life Is Beautiful," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Marco Polo."

The concert culminated with a performance of "Until Dawn," the official anthem of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

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.