The world's first comprehensive sports competition featuring humanoid robotics -- the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games -- will be held in Beijing from August 15 to 17, the Beijing municipal government announced on Wednesday.
The games are set to take place at two of the city's most iconic venues -- the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest," and the National Speed Skating Oval, the venue for speed skating of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The main events are divided into three major categories -- competitions, performances, and scenario-based challenges covering 19 events.
In the competition category, robots will compete in traditional athletic events, such as track and field races (100m, 400m, 1500m, 4x100m relay, 100m hurdles, long jump, and high jump), gymnastics and various formats of soccer.
Robots will also participate in performances, including solo and group dances, with aims to showcase real-time coordinated control and collaborative capabilities through artistic choreography and musical accompaniment.
The scenario-based games will focus on real-world applications in industrial, hospital and hotel settings where robots are tasked to handle factory material, sort medicines, perform hotel reception and cleaning services.
"The humanoid robot games aim to focally showcase and evaluate the latest advancements in robotics through diverse competition events and drive technological progress across multiple disciplines, including mechanical structure, artificial intelligence, large models, optics, sensing technology and materials science," said Jiang Guangzhi, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology.
Speaking at the press conference marking the 100-day countdown to the games, Jiang said he has also invited developers from around the world to attend the unprecedented gathering.
The games will be co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, China Media Group (CMG), the World Robot Cooperation Organization, and the International Council of RoboCup Asia-Pacific.
Beijing to hold world's first humanoid robot games in August
The unique experience of watching the China Media Group (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala on planes has turned air travel into a festive gathering, offering passengers "flying festivities".
Onboard flight MU5125 from Shanghai to Beijing, the festive atmosphere was palpable. Decorated with spring couplets and Chinese character "Fu", which means good fortune, the cabin was filled with joy as many passengers used their phones and tablets to stream the gala live, thanks to the free high-speed in-flight WiFi service.
"I really didn't expect watching the Spring Festival Gala on the plane to be so smooth. Once we reached cruising altitude, we connected to the WiFi right away. This experience is truly wonderful," said a passenger surnamed Cao.
Passengers aboard Sichuan Airlines flight 3U6879 also watched the Gala.
The Gala this year features four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing. Taking the grand show to new locations each year has become a new tradition, shining a spotlight on more of China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.
A passenger from the sub-venue of Yibin expressed his pride.
"I'm from Yibin, and I was thrilled and amazed to see our city's sub-venue on board," said a passenger named Zhang Bo.
"On the eve of the Chinese New Year, we've created themed flights across all internet-enabled routes so passengers can enjoy the Spring Festival Gala at high altitude, allowing them to feel the festive atmosphere even during their air travels," said Wu Dan, manager of the Cabin Service Department of Sichuan Airlines.
This initiative was launched by CMG in collaboration with several airlines. Around 300 flights from China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines participated, reaching nearly 70,000 travelers.
"To ensure passengers can watch the Spring Festival Gala live at around 10,000 meters high in the sky and celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and family on the ground, we conducted multiple rounds of comprehensive pressure testing and system optimizations (in advance) to guarantee stable and smooth high-speed WiFi on board," said Chen Mengying, a member from China Satellite Communications Co., Ltd.
CMG's Spring Festival gala takes to skies on flight to offer passengers "flying festivities"
