Sports fans love debates about who’s the GOAT— the greatest of all time — in a given sport. But when it comes to halftime performers at games, there’s no debate. Acrobat Red Panda is the unquestioned and unrivaled queen.
Born in China, she took up acrobatics at age seven.
“My father kept pushing me and I didn’t quit,” she told WTOP right after her performance at halftime of the Ohio State-Maryland game Thursday night in College Park. “I wanted to quit several times. I keep practice, practice.”
The practice clearly paid off. For more than 30 years, Red Panda, whose real name is Song Niu, has entertained mostly NBA and college basketball audiences with her halftime performances using her custom-designed, 8-foot unicycle and 12 white bowls.
For most games, people tend to get up at halftime and head to the concourse for food or a bathroom break. But not when the Red Panda is performing. They stay put for the show, which sometimes ends up being better than the actual game.
That was the case Thursday night. Maryland lost by 20 points on their home court but Red Panda had the crowd buzzing at halftime.
”Even though she does the same thing every time, it’s still amazing every time,” Benji, a senior at Maryland, said.
“I think the dedication and the balance is incredible,” said Lani, another student.
When told how universally beloved she is, Red Panda smiled demurely and said, “I’m humbly honored. Amazing.”
Watching the performance is exciting in a very edge-of-your-seat way; no one wants any of the bowls to fall. But the fans are not the only anxious ones.
“Right before the show, I always get nervous. Sometimes more, sometimes less,” Red Panda said.
Last July, Red Panda fell off her unicycle and broke her left wrist while performing at halftime of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game. The way the story was covered, it almost felt like a national tragedy.
She came back in October and appears to be back in peak form. But the injury hasn’t completely gone away.
“It’s still in the back of my head,” but “I’m so glad to be back,” she said.
Thursday night’s performance was going perfectly. Red Panda came to the big finish when she flips the last six bowls onto her head and she nailed it to the delight of the XFINITY Center crowd, which included Maryland’s Hall of Fame former coach Gary Williams who was smiling and cheering from his floor seat. One GOAT recognizing another.
“I deeply appreciate it,” Red Panda said. “It makes me feel like part of a family.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
