Beijing: The 2026 Spring Festival Gala, an annual televised celebration hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), commenced at 20:00 Monday (Beijing Time) on the eve of the Chinese New Year. Families across the nation gather to welcome the Year of the Horse at midnight with this much-anticipated event.
According to Emirates News Agency, report, in addition to the main stage in Beijing, four sub-venues have been established across the country. These include Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China known as the "ice city," Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang, dubbed "the world's supermarket," Hefei, the provincial capital of the eastern Anhui Province recognized as a hub for sci-tech innovation, and Yibin in the southwestern Sichuan Province, famous for its ancient architecture and scenic beauty along the Yangtze River.
The tradition of hosting the gala in new locations each year was initiated in 2016. Each sub-venue presents its own unique flair, offering a captivating visual journey through China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.
The 2026 Chinese New Year marks the start of the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Themed "Galloping Steed, Onward Unstoppable," this year's gala draws heavily on China's traditional culture, incorporating the horse, a symbol of self-improvement and progress, into its creative design.
The CMG's artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) real-scene special effects technology is being showcased for the first time in this year's show, underscoring China's technological advancements.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, holds immense significance as the most important traditional holiday for the Chinese people. Watching the Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," is a cherished part of the celebrations in countless Chinese homes.
First broadcast in 1983, the gala has become a beloved fixture in Chinese New Year celebrations, recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program globally.
The Spring Festival itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.