Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of performance in progress at main venue of 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala
2. Various of hosts, hostesses walking to center of stage, greeting audience members

Yibin City, Sichuan Province, southwest China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of performance in progress, robots interacting with performers at sub-venue in Yibin
4. Various of light show

Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, east China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of performance in progress
6. Aerial shot of venue exterior, fireworks

Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Aerial shot of Spring Festival Gala sub-venue, fireworks
8. Various of performance in progress, AI-generated giant snowman interacting with performers
9. Various of dancing, singing performance in progress

Hefei City, Anhui Province, east China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of people celebrating at Spring Festival Gala sub-venue
11. Various of opera performances
12. Various of performers dancing, drumming
13. Aerial shot of venue, graphics of China's space exploration devices

Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Various of robots performing martial arts
15. Various of robots in singing performance, dancers
16. Various of robot showing skills in micro film, performer singing
17. Various of robots performing in sketch performance
18. Stage special effects presenting tree, galloping divine horse Jiliang
19. Various of singer performing along with children in traditional clothes of China's ethnic groups
20. Various of singers from China's Taiwan region performing classic songs
21. Various of dance inspired by ancient Silk Road murals
22. Various of performance featuring dances of Hani ethnic group, Lisu ethnic group in China, Spanish flamenco, Hungarian folk dance
23. Various of acrobatic team performance in progress, interactive projection on background screen, performers interacting with AI-generated Lion Dance character with acrobatic moves
24. Various of traditional Chinese opera performance in progress
25. Various of gala in progress, host starting countdown
26. Animation showing clock of countdown timer

Beijing, China – Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
27. Various of gala in progress in main venue; animation of virtual fireworks, lucky red envelops falling on screen

Hefei City, Anhui Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
28. Various of people at sub-venue cheering, extending Chinese New Year wishes

Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
29. Various of people at sub-venue cheering, extending Chinese New Year wishes

Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
30. Various of people at sub-venue extending Chinese New Year wishes

Yibin City, Sichuan Province, southwest China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
31. Various of people at sub-venue extending Chinese New Year wishes, cheering

The 2026 Spring Festival Gala hosted and aired by the China Media Group (CMG) delivered a more than four-hour-long feast of captivating cultural performances and entertaining variety acts to audiences tuning in from all around the world as people celebrated the arrival of the Chinese New Year on Tuesday.

Themed "The Steed Gallops, Momentum Unstoppable," the gala opened at 20:00 Monday Beijing time and saw performances being staged at the main venue in Beijing and at four sub-venues set up across the country, as people prepared to welcome the Year of the Horse.

Taking the grand show to a different set of locations each year has now become a tradition for the gala, shining a spotlight on more of China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.

This year, the gala sub-venues included Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China known as the "ice city," Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang, which has been dubbed "the world's supermarket," Hefei, the provincial capital of the eastern Anhui Province which has emerged as a hub for sci-tech innovation, and Yibin in the southwestern Sichuan Province, known for its ancient architecture and picturesque scenery along the banks of the Yangtze River.

As always, the gala featured a carefully curated line-up of performances, including a host of stirring songs and dazzling dances, enchanting operas, comedic sketches, magic shows and a number of creative fusion performances, all of which highlighted the spirit of the new era, capturing the dynamic beauty of China's future.

This year's gala drew on China's traditional culture and incorporated the spirit of the horse, a symbol of self-improvement and striving forward, into its creative design.

The gala has increasingly taken on a high-tech feel in recent years and among the highlights this year was the appearance of advanced AI-embodied robots, who dazzled audiences with their innovative stage presence and impressive physical abilities, particularly during a highly-energetic Kung Fu performance.

Meanwhile, the CMG's artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) real-scene special effects technology made its debut with its first innovative application as part of this year's show, highlighting China's technological advances.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday for the Chinese people, and watching the Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," on is a cherished part of the celebrations in hundreds of millions of Chinese homes.

Since first being broadcast in 1983, the gala has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.

The Spring Festival itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.