Robots Take Center Stage at 2026 Spring Festival Gala as Companies Showcase Innovative Performances

In a stunning showcase, the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala featured a remarkable infiltration of robots, including performances by humanoid robots from companies like Songyan Power, Yushu Technology, and Magic Atom. This year, robots transitioned from being mere background players to central performers, generating significant buzz on social media, with the topic “Robots Fully Invade the Spring Festival Gala” trending.

Magic Atom kicked off the gala, becoming the first robot company to present at the event. Their humanoid robot, MagicBot Gen1, greeted the audience with a wave, while the MagicBot Z1 showcased impressive stunt movements. On the main stage, six MagicBot Z1 robots and two MagicBot Gen1 robots performed alongside artists like Yi Yang Qian Xi and Yan Cheng Xu in the segment titled “Smart Manufacturing Future.” At the Yibin sub-venue, over a hundred quadruped robots, MagicDog, performed in a large-scale coordinated display, resembling the national treasure, the panda.

During the “Smart Manufacturing Future” segment, synchronized to the rhythm of the music, the six high-dynamic humanoid robots MagicBot Z1 and two full-sized humanoid robots MagicBot Gen1 delivered a flawless performance with consistent execution and zero errors. The robots showcased advanced capabilities in weight shifting, balance adjustment, and multi-joint coordination, highlighting the maturity of their motion control and real-time collaboration algorithms. In addition to the main stage performances, the Z1 also executed a series of complex maneuvers, such as the “Thomas 360°” stunts, demonstrating high-level capabilities of bipedal robots.

Magic Atom affirmed that the stability of these performances was not a result of last-minute adjustments. Since the release of the Z1 in July 2025, nearly six months of testing and iterations have led to continuous optimizations in structural strength, joint module peak torque, and response speed, ensuring safety and physical redundancy during high-speed jumps and continuous rotations. On the software side, the team developed a comprehensive data collection system and dynamic training framework based on imitation learning control strategies for real-time optimization of momentum management and center of gravity shifts. The stability shown in single-point support and continuous posture switching fundamentally stems from the high coupling of system-level control strategies and hardware performance.

Songyan Power, established over two years ago, gained attention for its performance in the Yizhuang Robot Half Marathon. On February 16, the company showcased a variety of humanoid robot products, including Bumi, N2, E1, and a bionic humanoid robot specifically developed for the gala. On the same day, Songyan Power was announced as the exclusive partner for bionic humanoid robots for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala. Four precise bipedal humanoid robots and a bionic humanoid robot collaborated with renowned artist Cai Ming to perform the 12-and-a-half-minute skit “Grandma’s Favorite.” This marked the first appearance of humanoid robots in a language skit on the gala stage, bringing to life the family-oriented scenes from the 1996 skit “Robot Fun” thirty years later.

During the performance, the two “Little Mischief N2” robots executed flips and landed smoothly. In contrast to rigid arm movements, “Bumi” raised its arms naturally after reaching a certain speed, exhibiting a highly humanoid and fluid running posture. “It’s exciting; not every company gets the chance to perform at the Spring Festival Gala. There were many challenges during the process, especially with script changes requiring rapid feedback from the team, often resulting in new iterations in just a day, which tested our unity and mindset. However, thanks to two years of technological accumulation and our team’s ability to iterate quickly, Songyan Power met the gala’s high standards in a short timeframe,” the company expressed regarding their debut at the event.

Songyan Power emphasized that the demands for running, jumping, flipping, and coordinating continuous movements in complex stage environments set high requirements for joint drive, structural strength, real-time control, and stability. The company achieved this through high-power density joint modules, self-developed motion control algorithms, and holistic dynamics collaboration, enabling the robots to maintain stability and safety even in high-dynamic states. Over a month of preparation allowed the team to overcome various technical challenges, unlocking the “stability” secret of the robots. For the “Little Mischief N2,” adjustments were made in both structure and algorithms to achieve a light and agile presentation during flips. The final effects reflect Songyan Power’s precise control over its humanoid robot products.

The choice of a language skit aligns with the company’s future business strategy. “For instance, the launch of ‘Bumi’ represents our determination to enter consumer scenarios and seize market opportunities. Our next goal is to open more commercial channels and deliver products to real consumers,” the company stated, outlining its aim to advance the commercialization of robots and integrate them into more scenarios within the coming year.

Yushu Technology took the stage with a martial arts performance, collaborating with the Henan Tagou Martial Arts School. This year, their humanoid robots performed in the martial arts display titled “Wu BOT.” The event featured Yushu’s first general-purpose humanoid robot, H1, and a new generation bionic humanoid robot, Unitree H2, which stood 180 cm tall and weighed 70 kg. The robots executed a series of flowing movements, including flips, seamlessly integrating with young martial artists from the school in a “man vs. machine” duel showcasing various martial arts techniques.

Yushu Technology’s founder, Wang Xingxing, remarked to CCTV News that the robots’ ability to switch formations and perform martial arts in high dynamics and with high coordination was a global first, paving the way for future applications in group or single robot coordination in other settings. Yushu Technology has made multiple appearances at the Spring Festival Gala, with their robot “Beng Beng” first captivating audiences in the Year of the Ox. The company gained widespread recognition with the creative dance “Yang BOT,” directed by Zhang Yimou in the 2025 gala, where 16 H1 humanoid robots clad in traditional attire performed synchronized movements, demonstrating precision in their actions.

According to data released by Yushu Technology, they shipped over 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, with more than 6,500 units produced. The company emphasized that this figure only accounts for humanoid robots and does not include other robot products like wheeled dual-arm robots.