Humanoid robots performing at Spring Festival Gala spark global media buzz

The performance of humanoid robots at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala on Monday has drawn wide attention from international media outlets, recognizing the country’s latest technological strength and pride in its fast-growing robot development.

The China Media Group (CMG) hosted the Spring Festival Gala prominently featuring humanoid robots throughout the hours-long entertainment extravaganza. They were seen performing martial arts routines, taking part in comedy sketches, and participating in a wide range of other creative performances during the live television broadcast.

American technology media Mike Kalil reported that the robots' moves were much more acrobatic and fluid than last year’s robotic performers. They did aerial tricks, parkour, and signature martial arts techniques, displaying full-body coordination and precise timing.

Reuters reported that China's most-watched TV show, the annual CMG Spring Festival gala, spotlighted the country's efforts in advancing humanoid robotics and manufacturing. During a martial arts segment, several humanoid robots mimicked the wobbly moves and backward falls of China's "drunken boxing" style, showcasing coordination and innovations in fault recovery.

The performing robots are developed by Chinese robotics firms -- Unitree Robotics, MagicLab, Noetix Robotics, and Galbot.

The U.S. technology-focused site TechEBlog described the performance as a "masterclass of martial arts" on China’s largest annual stage. It noted that “they performed intricate fight routines with swords, poles, and nunchucks, and they moved in perfect unison with a group of children on stage. What was truly astonishing was how tightly they could regulate their movements, even when handling potentially dangerous items. We witnessed some impressive backflips and leaps, with some robots even launching from trampolines. They handled these insanely quick directional shifts and balancing recoveries like nothing.”

Germany's Table Briefings recognized the gala as a platform for cutting-edge tech performance. The magazine shared that the show featured a series of humanoid robots and AI-powered performances. Through the Gala, China showcased its technological strength and great pride in 'Made in China'.

Humanoid robots performing at Spring Festival Gala spark global media buzz

China Media Group's 2026 Spring Festival Gala on Monday night drew widespread attention with a groundbreaking performance of humanoid robots that could perform martial arts alongside young martial artists.

The robots, from China's robotics company Unitree, executed complex moves on stage.

Unitree was founded in 2016 by its young CEO Wang Xingxing, who was only 26 years old at the time. The company now has around 500 employees, specializing in development and production of robotic dogs and humanoid robots. But it all began with a small team and big dreams.

"In the early days, we were probably just a small team of a dozen or so people. It was only after we participated in the 2021 Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Ox that we saw a significant increase in numbers. And more people started to learn about our products," said Chen Xiyun, marketing manager of Unitree Robotics.

The robotic dogs, on one end, serve business requirements such as safety inspections, and on the other end, they can be great companions or performers.

The latest data show that Unitree's quadruped robots account for nearly 70 percent of the global market share.

But what truly made the company hit its stride was its rapid progress in human-sized robots -- especially considering they just entered this market one-and-a-half years ago.

"Here is the laser radar. The battery is on the left side of its body, and inside this part is the integrated computing unit, which includes the control algorithms that operate everything," Chen said.

Though robots can be designed like human beings in the appearance, it doesn't mean that we can quit our jobs tomorrow and let them do it all, he said.

"Right now, there is no true AI for humanoids yet in the world. What we have figured out is how it can move stably and smoothly, in other words, its motion control algorithms. The future will present numerous challenges, such as how they perceive the world like humans and how they can interact with emotions. These are all possibilities in the future," Chen said.

Unitree Robotics makes waves online with advanced humanoid robots