Chinese New Year is always a huge celebration in Newcastle and the North East, with a vibrant Chinese community welcoming everyone to join in. The Chinese lunar new year begins on 17th February marking the Year of the Horse and the 16 day celebration of the Spring Festival around the world. Join in the celebrations in Newcastle on 22nd February.
Read on to find out more about: the Spring Festival; celebrations in Newcastle; Chinese language and culture events and activities available for 3-18 year olds as part of Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages; and Newcastle’s Chinese community.
Chinese Spring Festival (New Year)
Chinese New Year is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival.
The date for Chinese New Year is different every year as it is set according to the Lunar calendar. It falls on the first day of the new moon which begins in either late January or February. Celebrations last for around 15 days, ending on the day of the full moon.
Customs differ, but Chinese New Year is important for families to come together and wish each other peace and prosperity for the year ahead.
The Year of the Horse symbolizes energy, independence and movement.
Join in the celebrations in Newcastle on 22nd February
The 2026 Chinese New Year celebrations are set to be a spectacle of colour and sound taking place on Sunday 22nd February in Newcastle’s China Town.
Honouring the Year of the Horse, festival goers will be able to join in the joyful celebrations at Grey’s Monument from 10.45. The parade will leave the Monument, proceed down Blackett Street and onwards to the Chinese Arch at Stowell Street in Chinatown.
From 11am, the Chinese Arch will host a programme of traditional performances including Tai Chi, Chinese flute, traditional Chinese musical instruments, opera singing, and Tai Chi dance
There will be traditional lion and dragon dances, as well as other performances at the Chinese Arch from Confucius Institute groups, musicians and martial arts demonstrations. There will be more music, stalls, street food, an arts and crafts tent and fairground rides on Bath Lane.
Scroll down to find out more about Newcastle’s Chinese community.
There are lots of events and activities that schools and groups can get involved in with a Chinese focus as part of this year’s Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages, which runs from January to 31st March 2026. Visit the dedicated Festival Chinese page or scroll down and click on the links to find out more.
- Welcome to China events (3-18 yrs) 9.30-11.30am on 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th and 19th March with the Confucius Institute
- Asian Creative Journeys: Indian & Chinese cultural workshops in schools. Flexible bookings Feb-March
- Culture Box Asia: Indian and Chinese cultural activities 6 Jan-31 March – interactive pre-recorded workshops (drumming, dance, puppetry and origami)
- Chinese Documentary Film Screening (14-18yrs) 10am-2.30pm on 25th March at Newcastle University
- Multilingual digital stories -5 films made by children Available 6 Jan-31 March
Creative multilingual activities with teaching packs available to 31st March:
- Festival Song (Love is the only river) sing in Chinese with resources available (a video of children’s performances will be shared)
- Mother Tongue Other Tongue – write poetry in Chinese (an digital anthology will be created from submissions)
- Together we Fly – create origami butterflies and submit entries for a World Friendship public exhibition
- Language Calligrams – create images from Chinese words (an ebook will be created from these)
- World Recipe Book: exploring food and cultural heritage – share your Chinese recipes (a digital recipe book will be created)
Other activities available through the Festival, where Chinese can feature:
- Language student immersion in Chinese at Durham University
- Multilingual Poetry Slam (KS3-5) 9.30am-3pm on 27th March at Newcastle Civic Centre
- Ursa Lingua’s Castle Quest Escape Room Adventure Available 6 Jan-31 March (games and puzzles)
- Multilingual Me: Exploring and celebrating languages in pupils’ lives (KS2 lesson and resources) 6 Jan-31 March
- Languages and careers webinars – where Chinese and other languages can take you
- Primary school visits to the Multilingual Library in Gateshead for stories and games
UK competitions, celebrations and resources
- ENACT Around the World Club education pack for schools with Chinese cultural activities
- Celebrate Speaking! UK schools 1st-28th February 2025 take part in the virtual festival of speaking in by sharing performances in Chinese online.
- Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators (deadline 27 Mar) including Mandarin competition and resources
- British Council languages support for schools including Mandarin Excellence Programme
- Year of the Horse Primary Education Pack for primary schools from British Council
The Confucius Institute at Newcastle University is a partnership between Newcastle University and Xiamen University of China. The Newcastle Confucius Institute has two primary aims: to promote the study of Chinese language from primary school through to university level and to promote the understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary China.
Click here to download the Confucius Institute Schools flyer, which has information about their offer to infant, primary and secondary students, offering engaging and culturally immersive experiences both during and after school. These include Chinese language classes during school hours, after school Chinese clubs, cultural workshops and courses and cultural events. There is also information about the wider offer to communities and individuals in the region.
Newcastle’s Chinese Community
- China Town in Newcastle is one of only five China Towns in the UK and sits at the heart of the Chinese community. Based around Stowell Street in the city centre, it has a bustling Chinese community centre, supermarket and a fabulous selection of restaurants.
- There are now over 35,000 people in the community in the city and surrounding areas, from all over the world – Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore).
- There is a strong Chinese student body in both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities and Newcastle University also hosts the Confucius Institute in partnership with Xiamen University.
- The North East Chinese Association (NECA) and the Northern British Chinese Entrepreneur Association are two of the key organisations supporting and representing the community. NECA was formed in 1979 by volunteers to support the local community and now provides a wide range of cultural, social and education services and opportunities.
- St John’s cemetery in Elswick has the first recorded Chinese person in the city, with a headstone in Chinese letters from 1881, dedicated to a Chinese sailor.
- The first Chinese restaurant opened in 1949, but it was in the 1960s-1980s that a lot more migration occured, with people seeking business opportunities and the chance to make a better living.
- China Town marked a significant step when in in 2004, an 11 metre high Chinese arch, built by Shanghai craftsmen was erected on St Andrew’s Street, flanked by two Chinese guardian lions and facing St James’ Park, the home of Newcastle United Football Club.