Humanoid robots made a dazzling performance at China's 2026 Spring Festival TV Gala as video clips flooded social media platforms within hours. Reuters noted that the four companies showcasing their products at the Gala demonstrated China's cutting-edge industrial policy and push to dominate humanoid robots and the future of manufacturing. The report also mentioned that Elon Musk said he expects his biggest competitor to be Chinese companies as he pivots Tesla toward embodied AI and its flagship humanoid Optimus. Humanoid robots from four Chinese companies – Unitree Robotics, Noetix, MagicLab, and Galbot – participated in the performances.
An AP News report called the robots' performance “one of the highlights” of the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, noting that it reflects China's push to develop more advanced robots powered by improved AI capabilities. A report by the South China Morning Post said the performances showcased the progress made by humanoid technology in China thus far, with entertainment still the main outlet before these robots realize their longer-term potential as efficient industrial workers. One X user commented that compared to last year's Yangko dance, “the progress in just one year is magical.” This year, the humanoid robots performed synchronized kung fu choreography, showing impressive motion control. Complex martial arts movements require precise balance and coordination, and demonstrate that the robots' capabilities have reached new levels.
Yu Lei, Chief Director of the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, said this year's Gala featured a high concentration of robots, aiming to show the audience the multidimensional development of China's robotics industry. The robots' eye-catching performances also boosted consumer demand. JD.com listed multiple robots for sale, including models featured at the Gala. Within minutes of the launch, robots from brands including MagicLab, Unitree Robotics, and Noetix were sold out. Among them, two Galbot general-purpose robots – priced at nearly CNY630,000 – were snapped up instantly, according to JD.com.
MagicLab's humanoid robot MagicBot Gen1 was the first to appear at the grand opening performance, waving to the audience. MagicBot Z1 demonstrated the “Thomas 360” stunt move, marking the first time a humanoid robot of similar size completed the move. Next was a short stage comedy “Grandma's Favorite”, featuring Chinese actress Cai Ming, actor Wang Tianfang, and Noetix's robots N2, E1, and Bumi. The performance featured a bionic humanoid robot mimicking Cai's appearance. Its facial structure had a highly compact design, shrinking overall size by 30% while retaining motion control equal to larger systems. The bionic facial skin integrates 32 motors, including 12 dedicated to the mouth, for detailed expressions and precise lip-sync. This was followed by Unitree's martial arts performance “WuBot.” Unitree's H1 robots performed three-meter aerial flips, single-leg flips, and other high-difficulty movements – a significant upgrade from their Yangko dance performance at the 2025 event.
Compared with last year's Yangko performance, Unitree implemented systematic upgrades across algorithms, hardware, and systems, to deliver the high-difficulty kung fu routine. As the final act among three robot performances, six MagicBot Z1 units and two MagicBot Gen1 units from MagicLab shared the stage with artists including Yi Yangqianxi and Jerry Yan in a song-and-dance performance. Their movements and timing were tightly synchronized, with rapid turns and connected jumps executed smoothly and consistently, achieving zero-error performance, MagicLab said.
Galbot's robots performed with actor Shen Teng and actress Ma Li in a short film. They handled delicate tasks – from rolling walnuts in their hands to folding clothes – with agile, human-like movements. The company said the performance was powered by its integrated end-to-end large model, AstraBrain, combining “brain-cerebellum-neural control” for full-body and full-hand coordination.
It is noteworthy that both the number of humanoid robots and the quality of their movements at this year's Gala saw leapfrog improvements compared with previous years, and they participated in a wide range of program formats including language-based skits, song and dance, action performances, and short films. Wang said the participation of four companies in 2026 signals a shift in technological focus toward perception and decision-making, and indicates that the robot industry supply chain has matured. Wang said that if 2025 was the inaugural year of concept popularization, 2026 is the application year of deep scenario deployment of humanoid robot. “Robot performances now span martial arts, skits, and songs, linking to industrial inspection, home companionship, and commercial services, showing the industry is moving beyond mere technical display toward a full ecosystem from foundational models to real-world applications,” he noted.
Such structural changes are also reflected in companies' commercialization progress and capital market moves. In 2025, Unitree's humanoid robot shipments increased significantly, and the company initiated IPO guidance. Other market players, including MagicLab, GALAXEA, DEEP Robotics, and Leju Robotics, are also pushing their IPOs. These industry milestones reflect China's strong strategic emphasis on technological development and innovation.
Consumer interest in robots has surged in China since several leading models appeared on stage at the Spring Festival Gala, with delivery dates pushed as far back as late April. The G1 costs around CNY85,000 domestically, while the international version is priced at USD13,500, putting it out of the reach of most consumers but of interest to companies and businesses. Interest also spiked in Noetix’s Bumi, a companion robot that appeared in a family-themed comedy sketch at the gala. Since the New Year's Eve show on February 16, thousands of the robots have been added to customers’ shopping carts via JD.com, although it remains unclear how many purchases were completed. The child-sized robot, billed as the world’s first “high-performance” humanoid priced below CNY10,000, has its earliest delivery date listed as late April on JD.com, compared with an earliest delivery date of March 1 when it was announced in October, the Global Times reports.
