Tech Billionaire Elon Musk Weighs In After Video of Backflipping Chinese Robots Dancing at Live Concert Goes Viral

Elon Musk has weighed in on a viral video showing six Chinese robots pulling off synchronized backflips at a live concert, calling the performance 'impressive'. The Tesla CEO reposted footage of Unitree G1 humanoid robots performing alongside Taiwan-based singer Wang Leehom during his 18 December concert in Chengdu, China.

The clip has exploded across social media, racking up millions of views as people marvel at robots dressed in sparkly silver outfits executing complex dance moves and acrobatic flips in perfect sync with human dancers. Musk's one-word response sent the video into overdrive, particularly since Tesla is developing its own humanoid robot called Optimus.

Six Robots in Sequins Pull Off Webster Flips

Wang Leehom's concert took place at the Chengdu Dong'an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium, which holds 18,000 people. During his song 'Open Fire', six G1 robots appeared on stage wearing matching silver sequined outfits and baggy trousers.

The footage shows them moving in tight formation with the music, doing arm waves, leg kicks, turns, and jumps. Then came the showstopper: all six machines simultaneously executed Webster flips—a complex acrobatic move that requires serious balance and explosive power—before landing cleanly back on stage.

Videos quickly spread across Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, then jumped to Reddit, X, and Instagram. Comments ranged from genuine amazement to jokes about future robot Olympics competitions.

The £10,000 Robot That Can Dance Like a Pro

The robots causing all the fuss are Unitree G1 humanoids, made by Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics. They're relatively small—about 1.30 metres tall and weighing 35 kilograms—but packed with tech. The G1 has between 23 and 43 joint motors depending on which version you buy, plus 3D LiDAR and depth cameras so it can see and navigate its surroundings in real time.

What's remarkable is the price. Unitree sells the base G1 for roughly £9,500 to £12,700 ($12,635 to $16,890). Compare that to Boston Dynamics' Spot robot at £55,670 ($74,500), or even Tesla's planned Optimus at £15,000 to £22,500 ($20,000 to $30,000) once it hits mass production. The G1 is positioned as an affordable option for researchers and developers.

The robots use AI learning to improve their movements over time. They practice in simulation first, trying thousands of variations until they nail the technique, then apply what they've learned to the physical robot. That's how they managed to pull off those synchronised flips on a live stage with timing constraints and limited room for error.

China's Robot Ambitions

This performance is part of China's broader push to dominate the humanoid robot market by 2027. The country has already smashed through its goal of producing 10,000 humanoid robots by the end of 2025.

But there's a catch. China's top economic planners have warned about a potential bubble if companies keep churning out similar robots without clear practical uses. Critics point out that whilst these machines are brilliant at entertainment—precision timing, coordinated movements, visual spectacle—they can't yet do much that's actually useful.

Unitree seems fine with that for now. They're leaning hard into the spectacle angle. Earlier this year, 16 of their bigger H1 robots performed traditional Chinese folk dances during the Spring Festival Gala. They've also gone viral for basketball trick shots and, less gloriously, getting knocked about by livestreamers testing their balance. The company reckons its next robot, the R1, will be the top-selling humanoid of 2026 at just £4,425 ($5,900).

Why It Matters

A bunch of robots doing backflips at a concert is undeniably cool. But the real story is how quickly this technology is advancing. A year ago, synchronised robot acrobatics in a live entertainment venue would've seemed impossible. Now it is happening in front of 18,000 fans who paid good money to see Wang Leehom perform alongside those robots, and not just in a tech demo.

The big question is whether companies can turn these impressive stunts into robots that actually do useful work. Can they last a full factory shift? Can they safely operate around people for hours on end? Can they handle the boring, repetitive tasks that make economic sense?

Musk's 'impressive' comment matters because he's not just any observer—he's betting big on Tesla's own humanoid robot programme. If even he's tipping his hat to what Chinese companies are achieving, it suggests the competition in this space is heating up fast. Whether these dancing robots ever evolve into genuinely helpful household assistants or factory workers remains to be seen. But they've certainly grabbed the world's attention.