Looking for ideas to celebrate Lunar New Year in London with kids? In this guide, you’ll find a list of 2024 festive events and activities for families to celebrate Lunar New Year in London. I will keep adding to this list, so do check back for more updates.
When is Lunar New Year 2024?
Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, starts with the first new moon of the year and is welcomed with a 15-day celebration in many Asian communities around the world. In 2024, the Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, 10 February, which marks the start of the Year of the Dragon.
Related: Lunar New Year books for kids
What’s On Lunar New Year in London with Kids
Plan your days out with this list of things to do with kids in London during the Lunar New Year 2024 festivities. Highlights include the annual Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown and packed weekend programmes at the National Maritime Museum and Museum of London Docklands.
Table of Contents
Lunar New Year Activities at the National Maritime Museum
3 February 2024
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at the National Maritime Museum with a day of live music, performances, lion dances and free family activities. Head to the Great Map for a range of incredible performances from local groups, including a Taiwanese ribbon dance, Korean harp, a martial arts demonstration and the magnificent lion dance!
Performances will be taking place on the Great Map at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm.
Related: Family Day Out at the National Maritime Museum
Drop-in Lunar New Year activities for kids (suitable for all ages and abilities) include creating and decorating lunar fans, learning mahjong, creating your own dragon and Lunar New Year storytelling.
Book free tickets for the Lunar New Year festivities at the National Maritime Museum
Lunar New Year Family Festival at Museum of London Docklands
10 – 11 February 2024
Welcome the Year of the Dragon at the Museum of London Docklands’s weekend family festival. Listen to classic Chinese folktales, learn how to ribbon dance, master martial arts moves and create a dragon mask.
Lion dance performances will be on at 12pm, 1pm, 3pm and 4pm in the Riverside Room. Arrive early to avoid disappointment, as visitors may be turned away if the space is too full.
Some events at the Museum of London Docklands Lunar New Year festival will be ticketed and spaces limited. Booking will open soon on the museum’s website.
See the full programme and book tickets at the Museum of London Docklands
Chinese New Year Workshops at Battersea Power Station
10 – 11 February 2024
To celebrate Chinese New Year, the Battersea Power Station are hosting a full weekend of family friendly workshops (paid). Learn the traditional dragon dance, design your own dragon paper puppet or create your own spiral paper dragon. Workshops are suitable for ages 5+ and cost £5 (plus £0.92 fee) per ticket.
On 10 February, there will also be free dragon face painting at the Battersea Power Station Light Festival.
See the full programme and book tickets at Battersea Power Station
Chinese New Year Parade in London
11 February 2024
The Chinese New Year celebrations in London are usually among the largest outside Asia, with colourful parades, traditional dragon and flying lion dances and traditional Chinese street food stalls. The London celebrations for Chinese New Year take place across the West End, starting at Duncannon Street, up Charing Cross Road and down Shaftesbury Avenue, dispersing on Rupert Street.
More than 50 teams take part in the London Lunar New Year parade, which features the largest gathering of Chinese lions and dragons in Europe. The London Chinese New Year parade will start at 10am, beginning with colourful parade floats and dragon dances from Duncannon Street. Between 12pm and 6pm, Trafalgar Square will have stage performances.
In Chinatown London you’ll find lion dancing, stalls on Gerrard Place and Newport Court and plenty of places to stop off for a Chinese New Year feast.
Check performance times and further details at Chinatown London
Find more days out inspiration for things to do in February in our guide: February Half Term Activities in London.
This post has been updated on 15 January 2024 with latest information on family activities, workshops and events to celebrate Lunar New Year in London with kids.
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