With the Tianshan Mountains as the backdrop and the Silk Road as the melody, a spectacular cultural celebration that transcends borders and connects the world is set to illuminate the New Year's Eve.

The 2026 Xinjiang International Spring Festival Gala will premiere on February 15 at 8:20 PM across Xinjiang TV, XPCC TV, Urumqi Radio and Television, and major streaming platforms. Centered on forging stronger bonds among all ethnic groups in China, the gala presents five innovative highlights that blend traditional art with modern technology, local heritage with global perspectives, offering audiences worldwide a vivid portrait of Xinjiang's joyful life and distinctive charm in the new era.

Highlight one: Ink painting comes alive

Where classical brushstrokes meet artificial intelligence, static ink finds new breath.

For the first time, the 2026 Xinjiang International Spring Festival Gala uses AIGC technology to "animate" the ink horses from Master Xu Beihong's paintings. They burst from the scroll and gallop across the Tianshan and Kunlun mountains, turning golden as they travel the Silk Road, surging forward like a golden wave. These running horses represent both the speed and strength of Xinjiang's development and the uplifting spirit of China.

It is a digital rebirth of national treasure-level art, as well as a cultural dialogue across time and space. The artistic value of Xu Beihong’s paintings, the distinctive regional features of Xinjiang, the theme of the Year of the Horse, and the global significance of the Silk Road are deeply integrated. It allows the audience to experience the infinite charm and timeless vitality of fine traditional Chinese culture through a stunning visual journey, creating a breathtaking visual spectacle.

Highlight two: Ten thousand horses galloping

All lives resonate in harmony with nature's infinite beauty.

The opening act "Ten Thousand Horses Tread on Spring, Blessings Herald the New Year" opens with cinematic location shots: Tianchi Lake, Muztagh Ata, Ili Valley, Altay snowscapes, and Bayanbulag Grassland...

Amid breathtaking winter scenery, thousands of horses gallop through the snow. Young people from various ethnic groups appear throughout, showcasing the full landscape of their shared homeland.

At the Akhal-Teke horse base, riders from multiple ethnic groups race freely. A five-year-old child rides against the wind, while five-colored Akhal-Teke horses run wild.

Moving into the studio, famous dancer Arman leads 80 performers in a powerful cavalry dance. The dancers move like ten thousand horses, their movements like rolling waves.

This moment delivers visual impact and makes hearts beat as one.

Highlight three: Laughter without borders

The comedy segment is no longer just a "show," but an "immersive experience of joy."

Sitcom "The New Year's Eve Dinner at Red Pomegranate Restaurant": Building on a hit drama IP, the studio connects with five real families across different prefectures using variety show techniques, vividly presenting the unique songs, dances, food, and happy lives of various ethnic families celebrating Spring Festival.

Sketch comedy "Animal Madness: The Pony Crosses the 'River'": Using wordplay as the hook, a fairy tale transforms into a workplace test, showcasing the relaxed humor of Xinjiang youth.

"PUPU's Fantastic Journey": Xinjiang folk music plays world-famous tunes, telling the story of Przewalski's horses returning to Xinjiang in a highly amusing way.

Chinese-Foreign Crosstalk "'Jiang' to the Future": Bilingual jokes in Chinese and English hit one after another, rapping about the happy life in Xinjiang.

Laughter is the best language of reunion.

Highlight four: The "Horse" Trilogy

Xinjiang, land of song and dance, must celebrate with music and movement.

"Horse Dance": Top dancers and ethnic troupes from Xinjiang share the stage, their steps igniting the hall, fully displaying the charm of diverse unity.

"Horse Joy": Magician Wang Yu teams up with a robot for a cross-dimensional human-machine collaboration. The robot writes calligraphy with precise control, while the magician's sleight of hand works wonders, every moment witnesses magic.

"Horse Opera": Opera masters face off in teams. Xu Mengke's "Left Neighbor Team" versus Jin Buhuan's "Right Neighbor Team." "No horse, no opera," they sing out the new vitality of traditional opera in Xinjiang.

Traditional art here is not nostalgia, but creative expression.

Highlight five: Spring Festival on the Silk Road

Xinjiang has always been where civilizations meet.

This year, "international elements" run through the entire gala.

Kazakhstan's famous singer Luiza delivers a heartfelt "Jasmine Flower." The children's choir from foreign embassies in China sings "You and Me" with elementary students from Xinjiang. The Wuzhou Changxiang Singing Group and Songshi Xiaonong Choir bring cross-border choruses of "Love Each Other" and "The Future Is Here." Chinese and foreign singers join voices for "Flowers and Songs Along the Road," pushing the gala atmosphere to its peak, blending the concept of "a community with a shared future for mankind" into song.

Additionally, overseas Chinese and international friends send New Year greetings via live video links, letting the joy of Spring Festival cross mountains and seas to connect the world. Wherever the song reaches, there is reunion.

This is Xinjiang's New Year flavor, and more than that, it is the world's Spring Festival greeting.

This is no ordinary gala, but a surge of culture, a convergence of emotions, and a grand invitation to the world. Through the integration and innovation of diverse artistic forms, it presents Xinjiang’s natural beauty, cultural charm, and development achievements to a global audience.

The mountains and rivers bear witness; the galloping steeds sound the call.

Tune in on February 15 to the 2026 Xinjiang International Spring Festival Gala!

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