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The Dragon Parade

Creative Tourist

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The Dragon Parade

2 February 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Free
The Dragon Parade, Chinatown Celebrations and Fireworks
Image courtesy of CityCo / Carl Sukonik.
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The showstopping highlight of Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations sees Chinatown and the city centre erupt with colour, music, performance and the legendary Dragon Parade.

Gather from 12 noon on 2 February to follow the dazzling 175-foot Dragon as it makes its dramatic way to Chinatown.

Welcoming the Year of the Snake, 2025 marks the return of the legendary Dragon Parade to Manchester City Centre, snaking its way through the streets along with traditional Lion and Ribbon dances, Chinese Opera performers, 12 Zodiac animals and ancient army characters.

Chinese dragons, Manchester

Celebrations continue in Chinatown itself – we expect the usual classical Chinese lion dances, martial arts, music, acrobatics and more dancing. Street food can also be found here and our top tip, if you fancy a seated approach, is to get down early and bagsy a table with the best views of the parade and all the celebrations on the first floors of the restaurants lining George Street, Nicholas Street and Faulkner Street.

This is the sort of event that Manchester does so well – especially for families – with plenty of thrilling activity alongside great locations like the Art Gallery, Library and many great restaurants of Chinatown to duck into and explore on the way.

Featured in

Chinese New Year in Manchester
Chinese New Year in Manchester

Colourful cultural adventures abound as Manchester rings in the Lunar New Year. Here’s our round-up of what’s on.

Where to go near The Dragon Parade

Manchester
Food hall
Kargo MKT

Mighty food hall in Salford Quays, with around twenty street food vendors, serving a huge range of cuisines.

Asap Coffee Interior/ Counter
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
ASAP Coffee

If you’re looking for quality coffee and a decadent brunch in a setting that nails the Northern Quarter brief, you’d struggle to do better than ASAP Coffee.

Interior of George St Chapel
Manchester
Event venue
George Street Chapel

This beautifully restored former Independent Methodist Chapel in the heart of Oldham is as much a creative hub as a heritage landmark.

Chinatown
Restaurant
Pho Cue

Family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Prepare to queue for Pho Cue.

Come to Swithens Farm for a great family day out in Leeds. Our farm has plenty to offer whatever age you are!Swithens Farm is a working farm. For many years now Ian and his wife Angela have built a following that they welcome in all year around. We now have a farm shop, café, playbarn and petting farm. When we first opened we only had the usual farm animals – cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and it was free entry. We now have llamas, alpacas, meerkats, rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys and a pony.On the working farm, we breed our own cows, pigs and sheep and we sell the meat through the farm shop and the café. If you buy a sausage sandwich from the café the sausage will be from the butcher who has made the sausage by hand using our own pork. We also produce our own free-range eggs.
Leeds
Swithens Farm

Swithens Farm is a working farm. For many years now Ian and his wife Angela have built a following that they welcome in all year around.

Peak District
Restaurant
The Chequers Inn

The Chequers Inn is a 16th century, family-run, traditional country inn with an impressive dining space. The Peak District at its best.

Testbed Main Space
Leeds
Event venue
TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

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