As percussion smashes and firecrackers snap, crackle and pop against the night sky, it must be that time of year again: Chinese New Year! Also called Spring Festival or Lunar New Year is a massive festival celebrated in Chinese communities worldwide.
Chinese New Year 2025, the Year of the Snake, occurs on Wednesday, 29th January. The London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) will organise the festivities, which are expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people to the capital.
So, to ensure you know what you’re doing, here are practical tips on where to celebrate Chinese New Year in London this year, a fabulous time to visit London!
From Charing Cross to Chinatown
Join the Chinese New Year parade and watch impressive colourful floats with more than 50 teams participating. It’ll showcase the largest display of Chinese lions and dragons in Europe. The parade starts on Charing Cross Road and continues through Shaftesbury Avenue in Chinatown.
Chinatown
Traditionally, New Year’s Eve is a busy chore day, with spring cleaning, haircutting, and other tasks to tick off the list. Still, the most important thing to remember is to organise or host a big celebratory dinner. Whether you choose dumplings or dim sum, London’s lively Chinatown district is the best place to go.
West End
Almost the entire West End fills with music, pyrotechnics, dancing lions, martial arts displays, craft stalls and singers as Chinese New Year approaches. Due to its role as the epicentre of Chinese fun, this slice of London is extremely popular, so get there early if you don’t want to watch it from afar.
Family fun
If you’re taking the kids out for these big celebrations, creative sets and activities will take place in Trafalgar Square at the National Gallery or Leicester Square, where your children can try out calligraphy or traditional Chinese outfits.
If you’re coming especially to London for the Chinese New Year celebrations or wish to add even more extraordinary experiences to your journey, take a look at our London Tours or Day Tours from London.
