Delicious food is a central part of Lunar New Year celebrations, so why not mark the occasion with a Chinese meal? Here's out pick of London's very best Chinese restaurants: lucky foods to order include dumplings (for wealth), noodles (for longevity) and fish (for surplus) so make sure they're a part of your feast.
Giddy up, horoscope fans! In 2026, we're cantering right into the Year of Horse. Like a cobra shedding it’s skin, we are slivering away from 2025’s Year of the Snake and into a brand new era. The Year of the Horse symbolises victorious success and good fortune, which is something we all need a bit of right now. And if you're born in the Year of the Horse then you'll really come into your own, as it’s a lucky year for this hardworking, warm-hearted and independent herd.
Of course, the new year isn't just celebrated in Chinese culture. Also known as the Lunar New Year, the Spring Festival, Tet and Seollal, it’s celebrated across many more countries in South Asia including Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as in many diaspora communities around the globe.
Traditionally a time for feasting, ritual and partying observed all over the globe, London will be heralding in the festivities in a mega way. In the capital, Chinatown hosts the biggest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia, while countless London attractions, cultural hubs, restaurants and other business will host their own bashes to bring in the Year of the Horse.
So saddle up, here’s everything you need to know about London’s Lunar New Year festivities 2026.
When is Chinese New Year celebrated in London in 2026?
In 2026, Chinese New Year landed on Tuesday February 17, ushering in the Year of the Horse. But the best of the festivities are saved for the weekend when London’s Chinatown, Trafalgar Square and the West End will fill up with hundreds of thousands of revellers, in the biggest Lunar New Year celebration in the world outside of Asia. The centrepiece of the festivities is a spectacular parade, as well as free performances and, of course, feasting galore.
What does the Year of the Horse mean?
The seventh animal in the cycle of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, the horse, represents power, beauty, success and perseverence.
The last Year of the Horse was in 2014, and you’re known as a horse if you were born in 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, or 2002. If so, tradition has it that you’ll be presented with exciting new opportunities this year. And, being a horse, you’ll know just how to make the most of them: people born in this year are said to be confident, responsible, and friendly, although they're known to hate being reined in.
It’s not just the Year of the Horse, but the Year of the Fire Horse, which last happened in 1966. In the Chinese zodiac, the 12 animals are paired with one of the five elements. For example, in 2014, it was the year of the Wood Horse and in 2002 was the year of the Water Horse. The fire aspect is said to amplify the horse’s traits of power and prosperity.
What date is the London Chinese New Year Parade?
This year’s parade takes place the weekend after the Lunar New Year, on Sunday February 22, though lion dances will be taking place around Chinatown on Saturday for revellers who want to start the celebrations early.
Where does the parade start?
The parade will take off from the east corner of Trafalgar Square at 10am, snake around Chinatown finish down Shaftesbury Avenue at around midday. After that a lions’ eye-dotting ceremony takes place in Chinatown, with stage performances in Trafalgar Square, then a spectacular finale before the celebrations conclude at 6pm. For more details check out our guide to London’s Chinese New Year 2026 parade.
As well as the spectacle of the costumed parade and stage performances, you can join the celebrations by tucking into special set-menu dinners around Chinatown and at the city’s best Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Korean restaurants or by joining historic walks, educational family days and craft workshops.
For more insider advice, be sure to read up on the best of Chinese London.
RECOMMENDED: More great things to do in February.