CMG unveils theme and logo for 2026 Spring Festival Gala

China Media Group (CMG) on Wednesday announced the theme and logo for the upcoming Spring Festival Gala of the year 2026. Marking the Year of the Horse, the gala's theme is set as "Galloping Steed, Onward Unstoppable," promising a vibrant and ambitious cultural spectacle.

The theme's core concept of "Qi Ji," which translates to "steed," is an elegant ancient term in Chinese culture referring to a legendary "thousand-mile steed" or a swift, fine horse. This powerful imagery embodies the Chinese nation's intrinsic spirit of pioneering, relentless effort and forward advancement.

Crucially, the phrase "Qi Ji" also bears a phonetic similarity to the Chinese word for "miracle." This dual meaning projects a powerful determination to create new wonders and an unwavering confidence in achieving national goals. The theme is thus deeply rooted in a hopeful vision for the new era and journey, aligning with the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

The concept's artistic roots are traced back to the ancient poem "Li Sao" from the classical Chinese poetry collection "Songs of Chu" (Chu Ci), which speaks of riding a magnificent steed, symbolizing the courage to take the lead and forge a path forward for others.

The 2026 Spring Festival Gala's logo is a visually rich abstraction inspired by the theme. The design seamlessly integrates traditional Chinese decorative motifs such as cloud patterns (known as "yunwen") and thunder patterns ("leiwen"). These elements are used to outline a visual image of four fine steeds moving shoulder-to-shoulder. The logo is designed to be infinitely extensible, transformable and cyclical, creating a living portrait of ten thousand horses running with unstoppable momentum.

This design showcases the charm of traditional aesthetics while simultaneously conveying the dynamic, surging energy of a rapidly advancing era. Together, the theme and the logo set an auspicious and festive tone, intended to gather Chinese communities worldwide for a grand cultural feast on the Chinese New Year's Eve.  

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is one of the most important traditional festivals in Chinese culture. The annual Spring Festival Gala remains a deeply cherished tradition for Chinese families worldwide, serving as a unifying cultural event. Since its debut in 1983, the program has earned recognition from the Guinness World Records as the world's most-watched television broadcast.