China Media Group (CMG) launched its 2026 Spring Festival Gala preparations in earnest this week, holding the first full rehearsal on January 17 ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations beginning February 16. The event marks a critical production milestone as performers and technicians finalize a program blending cultural tradition with next-generation stage technology.
This year's gala adopts the theme "Galloping Steed, Onward Unstoppable," reflecting both the upcoming Year of the Horse and China's contemporary cultural momentum. Early rehearsals showcase advanced projection mapping systems, AI-assisted choreography, and interactive audience elements designed to enhance the program's signature "joy, festivity, and auspiciousness" atmosphere.
Production teams emphasize the integration of regional performance styles from across the Chinese mainland, including updated interpretations of folk operas and minority dance forms. A CMG spokesperson noted the gala will feature "both the weight of 5,000 years of civilization and the lightness of modern innovation" in its 30th anniversary edition.
