China Media Group (CMG), the nation's flagship broadcaster, will begin broadcasting the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala to a global audience at 20:00 on Friday, offering an audiovisual feast to viewers across Chinese people worldwide as they celebrate the joy of family reunions.
This year's CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala will be staged in Huainan, east China's Anhui Province -- the birthplace of tofu and of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) classic Huainanzi. The production anchors its storyline in regional history, drawing on ancient folklore, astronomy and festive customs to celebrate family reunion.
Structured into three moon-themed chapters, the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala uses a creative language with global appeal to reimagine Chinese traditions for audiences worldwide.
On the open-air stage, cutting-edge technologies such as AI and robotics will help bring the show's traditional narratives to life. According to the director team, the production uses AI-generated visual effects and nearly 40 projectors to overlay digital projections of landscapes, pavilions and classic motifs onto the physical stage structures.
A total of 8,000 synchronized drones will take to the night sky to add to the festivities.
Among the evening's highlights will be British singer Sarah Brightman duetting with Chinese singer Zhou Shen on "The Music of the Night"; and a performance of "Clair De Lune" and "May We All Be Blessed with Longevity" by pipa virtuoso Fang Jinlong, Croatian cellist Ana Rucner and German pianist Oskar Roman Jezior.
Beyond music, the gala integrates diverse performance genres, backed by a soundscape of traditional opera, modern folk and contemporary instrumental pieces.
The gala will be broadcast live globally on various CMG TV channels, including CCTV-1, CCTV-3 and CCTV-4, as well as on new media and overseas social media platforms. It will also be aired simultaneously on mainstream media outlets in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Around China, people celebrate the day by gathering for moon-gazing, eating mooncakes, and lighting colorful lanterns.
CMG to air 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala Friday evening
