China’s Lunar New Year gala to feature rare appearance by US rock band OneRepublic

The annual television extravaganza, which is tightly scripted to highlight Beijing’s priorities, rarely features American performers

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American rock band OneRepublic performs in Wuhan, China on January 16. Photo: Instagram / onerepublic

Published: 9:48pm, 27 Jan 2025

American rock band OneRepublic is expected to make a rare appearance on China’s Lunar New Year gala – the country’s most-watched television programme.

State broadcaster CCTV said on Monday that OneRepublic was included in its fifth – and final – rehearsal of the Lunar New Year gala, indicating the band would appear on the annual variety show. The band performed their hit song “Counting Stars” in a pre-recorded segment during the rehearsal.

The band’s performance is likely to be a breath of fresh air for millions of Chinese viewers, as the annual television extravaganza rarely features American culture and Beijing has been locked in an intense rivalry with Washington.

A source involved in the production of the OneRepublic segment, who asked to remain anonymous, said the band worked with a Chinese television crew to film the gala footage after they performed a concert in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on January 16.

“I am sure many young audiences will love it,” he added, describing the performance as “energetic”.

The band left China after their Wuhan show and continued their Asia tour with concerts in South Korea and Japan.

The Lunar New Year gala is tightly scripted to embed the latest political messages from Beijing. Photo: CCTV