From 28 April to 31 May 2026, the 2026 China (Chongqing) International Consumption Festival was held under the theme "Love Chongqing, Shop the World". Centred on the three core concepts of "citywide new launches, citywide half-price offers and citywide participation", the festival brought together major commercial districts, pedestrian shopping streets, brands, e-commerce platforms and financial institutions across the municipality. More than 1,000 participating retailers offered discounts on over 10,000 products, with selected items available at up to 50% off, creating a citywide showcase of new products, first launches and premium consumption experiences.
Innovative Opening: Launch Ceremony Reimagined as a Debut Showcase
On the evening of 28 April, the festival departed from the traditional launch-event format and instead presented an original immersive stage production titled AI Shang Chongqing, Shop the World. Combining storytelling, product launches, promotional offers and visitor services, the performance transformed the venue into an interactive showcase for brands, new products and consumer experiences.
Smart Living Experience: Guanyinqiao Creates an AI Lifestyle Playground
Under the theme "Smart Living, First Launches in Liangjiang", the Guanyinqiao main venue featured automotive displays, smart home technology, intangible cultural heritage-inspired fashion and interactive technology experiences, creating an immersive urban showcase that visitors could explore, experience and shop.
Brands including Casarte, IKEA, ROUPAI Eyewear and the Yimei Life International Home Furnishing Platform staged product displays and demonstrations. Meanwhile, Chongqing Mingyue Lake Sci-Tech Innovation Park showcased a range of cutting-edge technologies, including the Sirius robotic dog, Magic Mirror 3 Plus, AI smart glasses, a desktop wind tunnel system and companion robots, allowing visitors to experience emerging technologies first hand.
Festival highlights included the Chongqing debut of popular vehicle models such as the AVATR 12, AVATR 07, DEEPAL S05 and Xiaomi SU7, alongside smart appliances including the ROBAM AI Disinfection Dishwasher. Givenchy also brought its L'Interdit Metro Station themed roadshow to Chongqing for the first time.
Citywide Debuts: First Stores, First Exhibitions and First Launches
Throughout the festival, major commercial districts across Chongqing rolled out a packed programme of debut-economy events. Chongqing MixC partnered with Harper's Bazaar to host the Blue Pavilion Collection luxury exhibition, alongside Chow Sang Sang's Elegant Charm Gold Exhibition. Longfor Beicheng Paradise Walk hosted ELLASSAY's national premiere exhibition, Woven in Light. Nanping Wanda Plaza launched a series of new sportswear and streetwear collections, while Guanyinqiao Darongcheng welcomed the KKV x SpongeBob SquarePants pop-up store.
At Fangyuan LIVE, AKEYAKEY staged its first Southwest China exhibition and launched exclusive merchandise from Jujutsu Kaisen 3. Other highlights included the Tom and Jerry x Chongqing IFS Art Exhibition and the Huawei Smart Living Exhibition, bringing a steady stream of new experiences to consumers across the city.
A key interactive feature of the festival, the Irreplaceable Chongqing touring exhibition, was launched alongside the opening ceremony. Running from 28 April to 31 May, the exhibition travelled through ten major commercial districts and cultural tourism destinations across the city. Visitors could scan installations to unlock exclusive AR experiences and receive limited-edition Irreplaceable Chongqing creative shopping bags.
Shop Chongqing from 50% Off
To maximise consumer participation, key commercial venues across Chongqing jointly launched the "May in Chongqing: Shop from 50% Off" promotion. Shopping centres, supermarkets and major brands introduced a wide range of offers, including half-price discounts, buy-one-get-one-free promotions and voucher rewards linked to spending thresholds.
The campaign enabled consumers to enjoy substantial savings while helping stimulate spending across a broad range of retail sectors during the festival period.
Photos Source: Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce