Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of 2026 Spring Festival Gala featuring digital innovation in progress

Beijing, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese, subbed in English) Guo Li, visual director (starting with shot 1):
"So far, no one has used AI in such a complex and deeply integrated way."

Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of 2026 Spring Festival Gala featuring digital innovation in progress

Beijing, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese, subbed in English) Jiang Yuhao, chief visual director (starting with shot 3/partially overlaid with shot 5):
"I think the level of technical innovation and technical difficulty in this program is the highest in the history of the Spring Festival Gala. Every year, we try to use the most advanced technology to meet the needs of the program's narrative expression, using technology to serve the program itself."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
5. Various of staff members working with computers
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
6. Various of staff members working under stage

Beijing, China - Feb 16, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of 2026 Spring Festival Gala featuring digital innovation in progress

China - Feb 16, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Audience watching gala

International City, Dubai, UAE - Feb 16, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of residents watching gala livestream on public screen

The 2026 Spring Festival Gala on Chinese New Year's Eve has blended many new digital technologies, especially AI,VR in storytelling, choreography, and stage visuals, to present intangible cultural heritage to a modern audience.

Animated horses dash about across the stage, and flower petals generated by artificial intelligence drift into the audience.

Nearly 80 percent of the programs used virtual production tools, including AI, augmented reality, and digital visual effects, at the Gala hosted by China Media Group (CMG).

"So far, no one has used AI in such a complex and deeply integrated way," said Guo Li, a visual director.

Technology became part of the storytelling system, integrated into choreography, stage design, visual language, and narrative structure at the Gala, which has a 44-year history.

"I think the level of technical innovation and technical difficulty in this program is the highest in the history of the Spring Festival Gala. Every year, we try to use the most advanced technology to meet the needs of the program's narrative expression, using technology to serve the program itself," said Jiang Yuhao, chief visual director.

The director is referring to "Ode to the Flower Deities". Using AI-generated imagery and extended reality (XR) technology, the performance brought together ancient seasonal symbols, historical figures, and traditional Chinese philosophy. The result was a single immersive stage experience that blended live performers with digital environments in real time.

By combining classical aesthetics with modern technology, it presented traditional culture in new visual forms, making it more accessible, immersive, and engaging for younger audiences and international viewers, a TV culture observer commented.