The Year of the Snake is upon us and London is preparing for a grand celebration to see in the new year. A week of partying for the Lunar New Year will culminate in a glorious parade on Sunday, February 2.
London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) has now revealed full details of this year’s main parade, sponsored by the Mayor of London, Greater London Authority and City of Westminster. This year’s grand festivities will commence on Saturday, February 1, with a lion dance procession through Chinatown from 11am to 5pm.
But the main day of the celebration will be Sunday, February 2, when the highly anticipated Chinese New Year parade will commence east of Trafalgar Square at 10am. The procession – the largest celebration outside of East Asia – will make its way north up Charing Cross Road, and then west along Shaftesbury Avenue – reaching its destination in Chinatown at 11.45am.
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The Chinese New Year parade will commence east of Trafalgar Square at 10am on Sunday, February 2
(Image: LCCA)
A main stage will be erected in Trafalgar Square throughout the day with cultural performances, while the rest of the square will be dominated by arts and crafts stalls, festive markets and hot food. At 12pm, there will be speeches on the main stage by community leaders, followed by a lion’s eye-dotting ceremony, a rite which sees a new lion costume being ‘awakened’ for a lion dance performance, with other lion and dragon dance performances afterwards.
Festivities in Trafalgar Square will draw to a close at 6pm. Meanwhile, Chinatown will be alive with food stalls, offering delicacies from every part of China, as well as a lion dance procession. A community stage and exhibition will be put up on the corner of Dean Street and Shaftesbury Avenue, with more cultural performances, festive stalls and another parade float.
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Plan journeys in advance
For children, a family fun and culture zone will be set up in Leicester Square from 12pm to 5pm, with cultural workshops and family activities teaching children fascinating facts and stories from China’s past.
Organisers warn that the area around Chinatown and Trafalgar Square gets very busy during London’s Chinese New Year celebrations, so be sure to plan your route in advance using Transport for London’s Journey Planner.
London’s Chinese New Year Parade will be held from 10am to 11.45am on Sunday, February 2, from east of Trafalgar Square to Chinatown. For further details, see HERE.
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