London Drum

Chinese New Year celebration in Trafalgar Square

Chinese New Year
Where? Chinatown, Gerrard Street and Lisle Street, Soho When? 29th January 2025 Parade starts in Charing Cross Road at 10 AM and arrives in Trafalgar Square at 12 noon Performances in Trafalgar Square from 11 AM to 6 PM Price? Free to watch · See lccauk.com Parking: Nearby car parks Buses: 14, 15, 19, 22, 24, 29, 38, 94, 176 Bus fares Trains: The closest station is Leicester Square Northern Piccadilly Other nearby stations: Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham Court Road Train fares

More than half a million people are expected to attend the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown and Trafalgar Square.

2025 - Chinese Year of the Snake

People born in the Year of the Snake (1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013) are supposed to be introverted and insecure, but their suspicious nature hides a surprisingly sensitive and passionate character that may surprise some of their friends.

Chinese dancers and acrobatsPhoto: flickr.com/photos/khedara

Parade from Chinatown to Trafalgar Square

At 10 AM a spectacular parade of decorated floats, paper-mache lions, fire-breathing dragons and oriental dancers will set off from Charing Cross Road near St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. It will then move along Cambridge Circus and turn left down Shaftesbury Avenue into Chinatown.

There will be lots of decorated stalls along Wardour Street and Gerrard Street, and you might like to try some of the Oritental restaurants and fast food shops which will be festooned with red lanterns and decorations strung across the street.

Chinatown gateway decorated with red lanternsPhoto: flickr.com/photos/joyoflife
Chinatown gateway decorated with red lanterns

They usually put a special family zone in Leicester Square offering calligraphy lessons, arts and crafts workshops, and dress-up sessions with traditional Chinese outfits.

At 12 noon the parade will arrive back at Trafalgar Square for the traditional lion's eye-dotting ceremony.

Entertainment stage in Trafalgar Square

Dragon dance in Trafalgar SquarePhoto: visitlondon.com
Dragon dance in Trafalgar Square

Between 11 AM and 6 PM you'll be able to enjoy some Chinese entertainment on the large stage in Trafalgar Square, where they'll have everything from acrobats and flying lion dances to contemporary pop singers, opera singers and martial artists.

The big finale at 5.45 PM will include fireworks and firecrackers and a light-show projected onto Nelson's Column.

We also recommend… If you enjoy Chinatown then you might like to visit Leicester Square (you can walk it in less than 2 mins) and Piccadilly Circus (you can walk it in 4 mins)

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