Watch live: World Humanoid Robot Games opening ceremony kicks off in China

Watch live as Beijing hosts the opening ceremony for the World 2025 Humanoid Robot Games on Thursday (14 August).

Held from 15 to 17 August, the inaugural games will bring teams from more than 20 countries together to compete in a variety of sports, ranging from track to dance to martial arts.

Over 500 robots will compete in the three-day event, marking the first of its kind in the world.

The spectacle is being held at the National Speed Skating Oval – also known as the Ice Ribbon. It is the same venue that hosted speed skating competitions at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Inside the arena are four major competition areas, including a running track, a soccer field and a boxing ring. Surrounding this is a remote control room for operators to guide the robots from a distance.

There are also non-sport-related events, such as humanoids being sent into a hospital-style room where they need to sort medicines and package them into prescriptions.

It is not the first sporting event held in China for humanoid robots. In April, the capital hosted the world’s first half-marathon for bots, and in May, the first-ever fighting tournament was hosted in Hangzhou.