Chinese New Year 2024 in London
Want to know where you can celebrate Chinese New Year 2024 in London? We’ve put together a few of our top picks throughout the capital to help you make the most of this celebration.
We’re officially counting down the days until we can all celebrate Chinese New Year together.
Did you know that Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, Tet and Seollal? It’s also the start of the new lunisolar calendar, which means it’s a great opportunity to start afresh, with a new positive perspective. Every year the Chinese New Year represents 1 out of 12 zodiac animals and 2024 will see in the Year of the Dragon.
According to Chinese astrologers, those born in the year of the dragon are believed to be confident, strong-willed, passionate, and adventurous. The Year of the Dragon is considered particularly auspicious and is highly regarded in Chinese tradition.
Places to eat
Hot Pot has thousands of years of history. With its variety of broths and food choices, hot pot is nutritious and delicious enough for you to enjoy all year round! Just choose your favourite soup base, meat, vegetables and extras and you can start enjoying!
If you haven’t tried Hot Pot yet – Haidilao is your calling. In Haidilao, you can grab free fruits and snacks in the waiting area, as well as a free manicure to help you kill time while waiting for the main meal. There are over 7 different soup bases with choices of one flavour a pot, two flavours or four flavours a pot. You can also order a noodle show direct to your table to see how the magic noodles are made.
If it happens to be your birthday, don’t forget to tell their team and you will receive a birthday celebration surprise!
To celebrate the year of the rabbit, Haidilao has also invited a secret guest for a limited time. Go and find out in the store!
Chinatown will always be a great place to visit on any day of the year, but more so for Chinese New Year. They host a series of events that include a remarkable parade with floats and lion dancers, as well as live performances in Trafalgar Square, the West End and around Chinatown. They’ll also be plenty of pop-up food and craft stalls to keep your bellies full and provide great entertainment for such a special time of the year.
Places to meet
Parade Spectacle
The grand parade is a must-see. You can normally watch colourful floats and more than 50 teams take part in the vibrant Chinese New Year parade, featuring the largest gathering of Chinese lions and dragons in Europe. In previous years, the parade has kicked off in Charing Cross Road at 10am, before snaking its way through Shaftesbury Avenue in Chinatown.
The event will be held on 11th February this year, but the theme and event programme is yet to be announced. However, you can always check here for the latest info.
Battersea Power Station’s annual Light Festival has returned brighter and more interactive than ever before with a couple of new surprises for 2024! A free light art trail for all to enjoy, explore seven light art installations 25th January – 25th February 2024 from British and international artists, a number of which are making their UK or London debut.
This is sure to be a spectacular show to go and see.
For all our Chapter residents, we'll be celebrating the Year of the Dragon with you. Make sure you look out for festive decorations and celebrations across your Chapter property. You can find all the information you need in your Chapter semester calendar.
We wish everyone happiness, wealth and safety in the coming year!
祝愿大家阖家幸福，财源滚滚，岁岁平安。
