A peek at CCTV's New Year galas

New Year is nearing. And as usual, CCTV is set to present spectacular galas for its viewers both at home and abroad. Let's get a preview of what's to come.

Sara Brightman, Leona Lewis, Lang Lang, Jose Carreras. The list goes on. They will be joined by performers from around the globe on CCTV's New Year gala on the last day of 2012.

A couple of Spanish dancers performed at the news conference, giving a sneak peak of the upcoming show.

Yang Dongsheng, director of CCTV's 2013 New Year gala, said, "It's more than just a concert. It's a large scale variety show! New year is a festival celebrated by people the world over, so our gala will be international and fashionable, appealing to a world audience."

The New Year gala will broadcast live on various channels on CCTV from 8pm on December 31st. During the 4.5 hours, the hosts will cross live to CCTV's correspondents around the globe and bring the audience up to date with the celebrations of the world!

For Chinese people, CCTV's Spring Festival gala, or Chun Wan is much more anticipated. Broadcasted live on Chinese New Year's Eve, the gala is the most-watched TV event in the country.

2013 is the year of snake and the lunar New Year's Eve falls on Feb 9th. There are just about 50 days to go to the big night, and the gala director is busily preparing.

Ha Wen, director of CCTV's 2013 Spring Festival Gala, said, "There will be a lot of music. We'll have big stars of pop music such as Jackie Cheung and girl group SHE from Taiwan. I can't tell you more and spoil the surprise. But viewers will definitely be entertained on the night!"

This is Ha Wen and her crew's second stint at directing the spring festival gala. Last year's event proved a great success.

Ha Wen says last year they realize their dream for the first time, and this year they will do it again and give an entertainment feast to people across the country.

Ha said, "We watch the news and pay a lot of attention to what's happening in our country in 2012. They will be reflected in some of the programs in the gala. It will appeal to the public."

CCTV's 2013 spring festival gala will be aired from 8pm on Feb 9th. The nearly five-hour event always features a variety of acts, including dance, music, comedy and magic.

The annual event has notched up several world records, such as the largest audience for an annual variety show, most performing artists and longest.