London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Chinese New Year 2020 in London: Where to celebrate the Year of the Rat

Chinese New Year 2020 in London: Where to celebrate the Year of the Rat

Chinese New Year 2020 takes place on Saturday 25 January but celebrations run for two weeks across the capital.

London festivities are the biggest outside Asia and this year, the Year of the Rat, is no different.

BFI Southbank
13-26 January – £10-25

The British Film Institute Southbank has a programme of screenings showcasing some of the best of Chinese cinema.

This includes Little Q, a drama about a grumpy chef who starts to lose his sight and finds a new lease of life in his guide dog, and the 2017 documentary Four Springs which follows a couple preparing for New Year over a four year period.

A matinee screening of Mountains May Depart is free for over-60s.


National Maritime Museum
25 January – Free entry

The museum is hosting a day of family activities including arts and crafts and a performance from Step Out Arts and the Guizhou Song and Dance Ensemble.

There will also be origami, flag printing, Chinese storytelling and the chance to learn to play the game Mahjong.

The day of celebration runs from 11am-4pm with sessions in Mandarin and English.


Duke of York Square
25 January – Free entry

The square’s regular Saturday Fine Food Market is getting an Asian makeover with a special Chinese market serving traditional delicacies and entertainment alongside the usual traders. The market will open 10am-4pm.


W London’s ‘One Night in Shanghai’
25 January – Free

Leicester Square’s The Perception at W London is hosting a Shanghai-inspired Chinese New Year party. Celebrate into the early hours with DJs, dragon dancers and Eastern-inspired cocktails.


Lunar New Year Premieres with Tangram
25 January – £12-16

The rising artist collective Tangram will perform at London Symphony Orchestra St Luke’s for a new year concert. The show will weave together Chinese and contemporary classical music and remix ideas of what music can be.

There is a panel discussion with composers and ethnomusicologists before the performance.


London’s Chinese New Year Parade
26 January – Free

As London’s main hub of celebration, Chinatown will be full of lion dances, street performers, craft stalls, Chinese zodiac animals and music.

The colourful carnival parade begins on Charing Cross Road at 10am.

It will make its way down Shaftesbury Avenue where there will be a cultural zone of stages, DJs and taekwondo demonstrations, before floating down to finish in Trafalgar Square.


The National Gallery
26 January – Free

Celebrate at the gallery’s family festival day in collaboration with London Chinatown Chinese Association and Happy Mandarin.

There will be children’s Chinese dance shows, sweet dumpling workshops and Mandarin story and rhyme sessions. Places are limited so advanced booking is recommended.


The Cutty Sark
1-2 February – Free with admission to the ship (£6.75-15)

Cutty Sark is running art workshops inspired by the tea clipper’s voyages to China where families can decorate their own Chinese fans.


Museum of London Docklands
8-9 February – Free

Enjoy performances, martial arts demonstrations and creative workshops across the weekend at the museum’s family-friendly event. Suitable for all ages, activities start at 11am.

Some sessions will be available to book in advance and may have a small charge.


Kym’s
Until 9 February – £45pp

Chef Andrew Wong has created a special five-course feast to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Dishes include a prosperity salad, black truffled pumpkin with egg emulsion, Fuji apple with orange sorbet and the signature three treasure trio of roasted meats. Staff will also be handing out fortune cookies filled with prizes.

The menu is available for lunch and dinner every day, excluding Saturday lunch time.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×