Beijing summer arts festival blends tradition, technology and performance

This summer, Beijing's long-running Gateway to Arts summer festival, which was launched in 1995, returns from July 3 to Aug 30 for its 33rd edition, transforming the city's iconic Forbidden City Concert Hall into a celebration of music, theater, heritage, and innovation.

This year's festival features 47 performances spanning symphonic concerts, chamber music, solo recitals, choral works, traditional Chinese music, traditional Chinese opera, acrobatics, and children's theater. The program brings together leading ensembles including the Beijing Symphony Orchestra and the Beijing Chinese Orchestra, alongside traditional Chinese opera troupes, acrobatic companies, and youth choirs, reflecting a deliberate blend of classical heritage and contemporary stagecraft.

Festival organizers describe the 2026 edition as one designed to "open the stage to everyone" — breaking age and aesthetic boundaries through seven curated series that range from "encountering masters" to "future technology".

Renowned conductor Tan Lihua, a founding figure of the festival, will reflect on its 33-year journey as one of China's most influential arts education platforms, noting its continued evolution through technology and new media.

One of the most anticipated highlights is "robot music week", a bold experiment where robotics meets live performance. In mid-August, audiences will encounter interactive robotic installations before witnessing live collaborations between musicians and robotic ensembles. The Beijing Chinese Orchestra will also share the stage with robots in specially arranged works, creating what organizers call a dialogue between precision engineering and human expression.

Beyond the main stage, the festival expands into education and participation. Seven intensive summer camps introduce children to instruments, including pipa, guqin, flute and xiao, composition, ensemble performance, and sound design. Many participants, organizers note, begin with hesitation and leave with their first full-stage performance experience.

Heritage also takes center stage through lectures and hands-on workshops. The traditional Chinese opera lecture series explores aesthetics, music systems, and theatrical traditions through interactive talks. Meanwhile, five intangible cultural heritage workshops allow young participants to try lacquer fan painting, cloisonne techniques, traditional tea processing, and classical Chinese crafts — bringing museum culture into lived experience