The China Media Group (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala was broadcast live at a cinema in Century City, Cape Town, on Monday, bringing the festive spirit of Chinese New Year's Eve to audiences in South Africa.
Enhanced by high-definition visuals and surround sound, the screening delivered an immersive experience, transforming the gala into a shared celebration across continents and highlighting the expanding global appeal of the Chinese New Year.
"This is my second year watching the Spring Festival Gala in a Cape Town cinema. I had great fun. It felt as comfortable as sitting on my sofa at home, and the sound effects were fantastic. This is my most important China time in South Africa each year. Watching the Gala in a cinema with my colleagues, students and their parents, and many other overseas Chinese is particularly interesting and joyful," said Wu Changhong, foreign dean of the Confucius Institute at the Western Cape University.
This year's entertainment extravaganza featured four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing, including Yiwu, the world's leading small commodities hub in east China's Zhejiang Province.
Wu and her Chinese colleagues were especially excited when Yiwu hit the screen, because most of them are from Zhejiang.
"I'm currently working in Hangzhou, and my husband is from Yiwu. So, we are proud that Yiwu is gaining global reputation," said Tang Lu, a teacher at the Confucius Institute.
Tang, along with two other teachers, Liu Tianli and Liu Xinru, commended a martial art performance by humanoid robots at the gala, saying they were shocked by the rapid development of the industry.
"Particularly, that robot performance was at a whole different level from last year's. It's really shocking that they could achieve such huge progress in just one year," they said.
The cinema audience also included local students who are interested in Chinese culture.
"I'm so excited. I wanted to experience the Chinese culture, and I really feel so good about it because I've been able to watch the music. I've been able to see the various kids. So, I feel good and happy that I came," said Benta Moigej, a South African student.
"I'm just so blown away by the large-scale production. Every show that happened, every showcase that happened, we were just left with goosebumps. I'm just blown away by, and I'm trying to imagine the amount of preparation and planning that had to go into organizing such a beautiful, large-scale production. And you think that you've seen it all, and then the next one comes, and it's better and better," said Den-Mari Jacobs, another South African student.
CMG Spring Festival Gala lights up Cape Town cinema with live broadcast
