London Chinese Lunar New Year Parade 2025: start time, route and everything you need to know

Did you know that London hosts the biggest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of Asia? Every year, Chinatown comes alive with martial arts displays, opulent red and gold costumes, fireworks, dancing lions and more to mark the occasion. 

In 2025, Chinese tradition welcomes in the Year of the Snake. According to the Chinese zodiac, anyone born in the Year of the Snake (1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013) will be presented with exciting new opportunities in over the next 12 months. If that’s you – all the more reason to get down to Chinatown!

The main festivities kick off with a spectacular parade from Trafalgar Square and into Chinatown. Here’s all the info you need to know. 

🐍 Time Out’s ultimate guide to the Chinese Lunar New Year in London.
🧧 London’s best Lunar New Year events in 2025 (outside Chinatown).

What date is Chinese New Year 2025?

For 2025, Chinese New Year falls on Wednesday January 29. 

When is London’s Chinese New Year parade? 

The big Chinese New Year parade is happening a few days later on Sunday February 2. 

Chinese New Year parade start time

Celebrations are expected to start at around 10am. 

London Chinese New Year parade route 

It’ll start to the east of Trafalgar Square, a few metres down from Charing Cross station. Spectacular Chinese lions and dragons will make their way up Charing Cross Road to Shaftesbury Avenue, stopping at the bottom of Wardour Street at around 11.45am.

From 12pm, there’ll be a lion dance travelling through Chinatown, passing by Gerrard Street, Macclesfield Street, a section of Wardour Street, Leicester Street, Leicester Place and Lisle Street.

Parade map

Here’s a map of the parade and several other stages and attractions. 

What is this year’s Chinese New Year animal?

This coming year is the Year of the Snake, with previous Years of the Snake being 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013. According to the South China Morning Post, snakes are ‘associated with harvest, procreation, spirituality, and good fortune, as well as cunning, evil, threat, and terror’.

What will be the Chinese New Year animal in 2026? 

In Chinese tradition, 2026 will be the Year of the Horse. That’s significant for anyone born in 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014, who are said to be energetic, independent and social. 

Best places to celebrate Lunar New Year in London

Obviously, it doesn’t get much better than Chinatown. But if you’re after alternative places to mark Lunar New Year in London, we’ve put together a comprehensive list here. 

London’s best dim sum restaurant has been crowned for 2025 by Time Out. 

These are London’s best Chinese restaurants. 

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