During the 2026 Spring Festival holiday period from February 15 to 23, the city has scheduled 260 commercial performances across 2,128 sessions. This extensive program of stage arts, brimming with festive spirit, allows both residents and visitors to immerse themselves in cultural experiences while celebrating the joy and reunion of the Chinese New Year.
Traditional opera performances bring a strong flavor of the season. Attending operas during the holidays is a cherished tradition, a ritual, and a source of pleasure. Throughout the festival, Beijing's performance troupes and venues will host diverse thematic shows to ring in the new year with audiences. The China National Peking Opera Company's 2026 "Greeting the New Spring" series at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre's main hall will feature performances such as "Silang Visits His Mother," "The Phoenix Returns to Its Nest," and a "Peking Opera Masters Concert," showcasing everything from classic narratives to gatherings of renowned artists.
At the Chang'an Grand Theatre, the Bingwu New Year Classical Peking Opera Series will present 14 consecutive shows from the first to the seventh day of the lunar new year. The Beijing Peking Opera Theatre will perform classics like "The Lucky Purse" and "Farewell My Concubine," offering a rich variety of styles to delight opera enthusiasts.
The Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre's "Prosperous Kunqu Charm" New Year celebration will feature classic Kunqu operas such as "The Peony Pavilion" and "The Romance of the Western Chamber" at the Tianqiao Theatre and Beijing People's Theatre, fully displaying the elegance of Kunqu artistry. The Beijing Peking Opera Theatre will also present national treasures like "The Red Mane Horse" and "Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity" at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Drama Theatre, alongside a "New Year Concert: Opera Rhythms and Spring Melodies" at the Zhongshan Park Music Hall. Meanwhile, the China Pingju Theatre, the Beijing Hebei Bangzi Opera Troupe, and the Beijing Quju Opera Troupe will stage performances including a "Pingju Masters Concert," the Hebei Bangzi opera "Bao Gong Sells the Guillotine," and a special Spring Festival edition of the Quju opera "Teahouse" at the Daxing Theatre Grand Hall, Beijing People's Theatre, and the Beijing Exhibition Centre Theatre, respectively. Traditional operas like the Peking opera "The Jade Hall of Spring" and the Kunqu opera "The Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings" will be performed at the Jixiang Theatre and the Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre.
New Year concerts fill the holiday with joyful music. Numerous Spring Festival-themed concerts will be held in capital's music halls and theatres. The "Lantern Festival Revelry: Passionate Years" vocal music concert at the NCPA Concert Hall will evoke collective nostalgia for traditional customs and golden memories with its warm, heartfelt melodies. The China Film Orchestra will present two consecutive New Year-themed concerts at the Beijing Arts Centre Concert Hall, using grand symphonic arrangements to interpret classic pieces and heralding a spring of progress with the auspicious symbolism of the galloping golden horse. The "Dragon-Horse Spirit: 2026 Beijing Children's New Year Concert (Symphonic Vocal Edition)" at the Beijing Concert Hall will create a festive, child-friendly stage with symphonic singing, offering a special musical feast for young audiences. The Leningrad State Symphony Orchestra will also perform several New Year concerts with different themes at the NCPA Concert Hall and the Beijing Arts Centre Concert Hall, delivering cross-border Spring Festival blessings. The Zhongshan Park Music Hall's New Year Performance Season will feature "Four Seasons Ode: Spring Festival Salute – Beijing Symphony Orchestra New Year Concert" and "All Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix: Ten Thousand Horses Welcoming Spring – Beijing Chinese Orchestra New Year Concert."
Quality productions illuminate Beijing's theatres. Spoken drama, dance drama, and musical offerings are equally diverse. The Beijing People's Art Theatre will stage the plays "Under the Red Flag" and "I Love Peach Blossoms" at the Capital Theatre and the Beijing People's Art Experimental Theatre, respectively. The China Oriental Performing Arts Group, the Beijing Opera and Dance Drama Theatre, and the St. Petersburg Classic Ballet Theatre will perform the poetic dance drama "The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting – A Dance Interpretation of 'A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains'," the dance dramas "Breaking the Ice" and "Five Stars Arise in the East," and the ballet "Swan Lake" at the Beijing Poly Theatre, the NCPA Taihu Theatre, and the Tianqiao Theatre. The musical "Novel" will be staged at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre's Medium Theatre.
Children's plays like "Octonauts: The East China Sea Rescue" and "Journey to the West (Part Two)" will be shown at the Beijing Arts Centre Drama Theatre and the China Children's Art Theatre. The acrobatic show "Gold Medal Acrobatics for the New Year: Reaching the Pinnacle of Skill" will take the stage at the Beijing Arts Centre Opera House.
New performance spaces are blossoming with variety. The National Library of China Arts Centre will host Spring Festival performances such as the "Ancient Texts, National Style New Year Concert." The Happy Mahua A33 Theatre, Nanluo Theatre, and Sanlitun Ai Yue Hui Art Space will present the immersive play "Stories of a Chinese Studio: Three Lifetimes," the children's play "Where is Chang'an?," and the "2026 Beijing Parent-Child New Year Concert." Diverse performance genres are converging in unique venues, weaving a vibrant tapestry of classic and innovative stage arts to celebrate the Spring Festival in spectacular fashion.
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