On 4, it was learned at a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that the Third National Excellent Musical Theater Exhibition, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Guangdong Provincial People's Government, will be held in Shenzhen, Guangdong from 2026 to 12 through 2027 to 1. The exhibition will feature 15 original musicals: realist works "Sound of Gulang" and "Tide Rises Over Greater Bay"; traditional culture-themed works "Bai Juyi," "Mulan," and "Black Flag Order"; revolutionary historical works "The Last Bullet" and "Old Chinese Doctor"; literary adaptations "Baoyu," "The Moon and Sixpence," and "Li Youcai's Ballads"; imaginative pieces "Flying into the Sky" and "Fox Tales of Ministers and Immortals"; and local Guangdong-themed works "Weaving Dreams" and "I Like You."
The National Excellence Musical Theatre Exhibition is the highest-level national platform for showcasing musical theatre in China. This edition received applications from 39 institutions nationwide, totaling 67 productions. After expert review, 15 works were selected. During the exhibition, a series of activities—including academic exchanges, production promotions, city flash mobs, and ticket holder perks—were held simultaneously to bring musical theatre out of the theater and into the fabric of the city.