Chinese robot makers ready for Lunar New Year entertainment spotlight

"When robots begin to understand Lunar New Year and begin to have a sense of humour, the human-computer interaction may come faster than we think," Ma Hongyun, a photographer and writer with 4.8 million followers on Weibo, said in a post.

Agibot, which says its humanoid robots are designed for a range of applications, including in education, entertainment and factories, plans to launch an initial public offering in Hong Kong, Reuters has reported.

State-run Securities Times said Agibot had opted out of the CCTV gala in order to focus spending on research and development. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

The company demonstrated two of its robots to Xi during a visit in April last year. A squad of 16 full-size humanoids from Unitree joined human dancers in performing at China Central Television's 2025 gala, drawing stunned accolades from millions of viewers.

Less than three weeks later, Unitree's founder was invited to a high-profile symposium chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Hangzhou-based robotics firm has since been preparing for a potential initial public offering.

This year's CCTV gala will include participation by four humanoid robot startups, Unitree, Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab, the companies and broadcaster have said.

Agibot's gala employed over 200 robots. It was streamed on social media platforms RedNote, Sina Weibo, TikTok and its Chinese version Douyin. Chinese-language television networks HTTV and iCiTi TV also broadcast the performance. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv

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Chinese robot makers ready for Lunar New Year entertainment spotlight

By Reuters

Summary Companies

Agibot streams robot-powered performance Four robot makers to participate in Spring Festival gala Dance skills show preluded Unitree's rise

BEIJING, Feb 8 (Reuters) - In China, humanoid robots are serving as Lunar New Year entertainment, with their manufacturers pitching their song-and-dance skills to the general public as well as potential customers, investors and government officials.