Worldskills Shanghai 2026 Opens With Spectacular Ceremony

The Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center was brightly illuminated on Tuesday (September 22), standing out against the dazzling night lights along the iconic Huangpu River, as China staged a spectacular opening ceremony for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

Under the theme ‘Master Skills, Change Your Future’, the ceremony brought together music, dance, technology and Chinese cultural heritage in a brilliant showcase featuring stunning costumes, vibrant colours and a strong cultural imprint.

The ceremony featured a theme song and countdown performance before the 68 delegations assembled at Celebration Square and made their way along Skills Dream Avenue towards the main arena.

The parade of teams, including participants from Jamaica, was led by the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 mascots, Neng Neng and Qiao Qiao, followed by representatives of WorldSkills Champions Trust carrying the WorldSkills flag.

As the delegations entered the arena, each was announced to the audience and competitors, dressed in national colours or traditional attire, proudly waved their flags.

The performances unfolded in three chapters, namely, Light of Civilization, Light of Skills and Light of the Future.

The opening chapter traced the evolution of human ingenuity through some of China’s most influential innovators.

Among them were Lu Ban, the founding master of Chinese woodworking and craftsmen, who used woodworking techniques and architectural craftsmanship to write the earliest definition of skill.

Homage was also paid to Cai Lun, who revolutionised paper making, thereby enabling wisdom to spread; Bi Sheng, inventor of moveable type; and Huang Daopo, pioneer of textile craftsmanship.

The chapter concluded with performances symbolising the transformative ages of steam, electricity and information.

The second chapter showcased the roof of the shared home of skills, with five young people from five continents telling stories of how skills have transformed their lives.

Abraham Mundengo, from Zambia, recalled growing up in a mining community where the brightest lights once came from miners’ headlamps.

“When I walked into a technical school a teacher first showed me how to separate copper wires with my fingertips, to straighten and align each pair. Each move [was] a balance of precision and force, and through those moves, I earned my place on the WorldSkills stage. Now, I am back in Africa, standing where my teacher once stood, pouring my heart into teaching young people how to build connections between dreams and reality. I am lighting up a village and changing a nation,” he said.

Mr. Mundengo, who represented Zambia at WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition in Information Network Cabling is a WorldSkills Championship Trust Representative for Africa and is one of the Global Dream Ambassadors for WorldSkills Shanghai.

Cloe Le Marechal from France, competed in Fashion Technology at WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition in Helsinki, Finland and was bestowed with the Best of Nation award for France.

“I am dyslexic. Words scatter on the page for me but my keenness for colours and lines makes everything clear. I cut and stitched night after night. It took hours of dedication and reworking every seam until it breathed.

Creating beauty with my hands took me all the way to WorldSkills. When one door closes, skill opens another,” she said.

The final chapter looked ahead to a world where human skills and technology increasingly work side by side.

Performers wore reflective holographic suits, while China’s newest generation of humanoid robots joined humans in a choreographed finger dance.

“The performance is the world’s first ever dance show of full-scale humanoid robots,” the narrator said.

The ceremony reached its formal climax as competitors and experts took the WorldSkills Oath.

The WorldSkills Flag was raised as the accompanying anthem played.

The 48th WorldSkills competition was declared open by Chinese Premier, Li Qiang.

“From ancient tinder to future light, the torch of skills has never been extinguished,” the narrator said.

The impressive opening has set the stage for four days of competition, with more than 500,000 spectators expected to witness skills in action.