Chinese New Year in London 2027: Dates, the Parade Route, Trafalgar Square, Chinatown Restaurants and How to Plan

Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, the Year of the Goat. London's official celebration, organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association with the Mayor, is held the following weekend: in 2026 it was Saturday 21–Sunday 22 February for a 17 February new year, so 2027 is expected on Saturday 13–Sunday 14 February (clashing with Valentine's Day, which will make restaurant tables scarce). Organisers confirm dates in December.

01 / PROGRAMMEWhat happens, and where

• Saturday (expected 13 February): lion dances through Chinatown's restaurants and shops on Gerrard Street, Lisle Street and Wardour Street, roughly 12:00–17:30; firecrackers; the streets are pedestrianised and packed.
• Sunday (expected 14 February), 10:00–12:00: the parade — dragon and lion troupes, floats, Chinese opera, martial artists — leaves the east side of Trafalgar Square, goes up Charing Cross Road, along Shaftesbury Avenue and through Chinatown, ending on Wardour Street.
• Sunday 12:00–18:00: Trafalgar Square main stage with the eye-dotting ceremony that wakes the lions, the London Chinese Philharmonic, acrobats and dance troupes from China, and a pyrotechnic finale around 17:45.
• Also: calligraphy and craft workshops on Dean Street; family activities in Leicester Square to 17:00; food stalls on Charing Cross Road; 'Spring Festival' events at the V&A, British Museum and Southbank Centre in the surrounding fortnight.
• 2026 numbers: around 700,000 attended across the weekend.

02 / EATChinatown and beyond

• Chinatown classics: Four Seasons and Gold Mine (roast duck), Dumplings' Legend and Bun House (dumplings and bao), Plum Valley and Orient London (dim sum), Tao Tao Ju (Peking duck), Barshu and Er Mei (Sichuan), Kung Fu Noodle, Café TPT, Wong Kei for speed, Haidilao on Piccadilly for hotpot, Rasa Sayang and Speedboat Bar for Malaysian and Thai.
• New Year menus: most run set banquets over the weekend at £40–80 a head; book by mid-January; walk-ins on the Sunday queue an hour.
• Bang Bang Oriental (Colindale, Northern line): London's biggest Asian food hall, 30 stalls, no bookings, a 25-minute escape from the crowds.
• Bayswater and Queensway: Royal China and Gold Mine's sister branches; supermarkets: Loon Fung and See Woo in Chinatown for new-year sweets and decorations.

03 / PLANCrowds, transport and where to stay

• Arrive at Trafalgar Square before 10:00 for a parade kerb spot; the north terrace by the National Gallery gives the best stage view; bag searches at every entrance.
• Stations: Charing Cross and Embankment are closest; Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus may go exit-only at peak; Covent Garden and Green Park are a ten-minute walk and calmer. Buses on the Strand and Charing Cross Road divert.
• Children: the Sunday parade and Leicester Square activities are family-friendly; the fireworks finale is loud.
• Weather: February is 4–9°C and often wet — a six-hour day outside needs a warm coat and waterproof shoes.
• Hotels: February is low season, but West End hotels fill for the Sunday night; Bloomsbury and Covent Garden are walkable.
• Chinese visitors: see the London guide for Chinese visitors for visas, Alipay and UnionPay, eSIMs and Bicester Village.

Transport on the day: tap contactless on Tube and bus (daily cap £8.90 in Zones 1–2); check tfl.gov.uk for closures the week before. Where roads close or crowds make apps surge, a pre-booked fixed-fare car with Rushxo keeps the price agreed and drops you at the nearest open road.

Frequently asked questions

Dates and prices were checked in October 2026; items marked "expected" follow the usual pattern and were not yet confirmed by organisers. Confirm with the organiser before you travel.