Humanoid robots grooved to hip-hop, sparred in martial arts, and even played guitar and drums on Thursday evening as Beijing opened the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games.
Beijing’s first World Humanoid Robot Games open with hip-hop, soccer, boxing, track and more. pic.twitter.com/81oXZtpoxs— The Associated Press (@AP) August 14, 2025
The three-day spectacle has drawn more than 500 robots from 280 teams in 16 countries including the US, Germany and Japan. Events range from soccer and boxing to running races, with a dash of catwalk flair thrown in for good measure.
Thursday’s opening ceremony was equal parts sports show and comedy sketch. One robot soccer player finally scored after several attempts, sending the goalkeeper tumbling. Another player took a spill but popped back up on its own. In a less graceful moment, a robot fashion model toppled and had to be carried offstage by two humans.
“They backflip, they cheer, they even miss goals — it’s like a real sports event, just with a lot more charging cables,” one amused spectator said.
Robots modeled hats and designer outfits alongside human models, banged out tunes on keyboards and guitars, and showed off boxing moves between breakdancing routines. The audience — and the robots — seemed to enjoy the playful chaos.
China’s state-run People’s Daily quoted a Beijing government official as saying, “Every robot that participates is creating history.”
The games feature entries from major robotics companies, top Chinese universities including Tsinghua and Peking, and even three middle schools. Tickets for the public range from 180 yuan ($25) to 580 yuan ($80).
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With inputs from Associated Press