Chinese New Year 2020 in Newcastle
The celebrations start at 11am on Saturday 25th January
Sunday 26 January will see Newcastle welcome in the Chinese New Year 2020, the Year of the Rat, with huge celebrations and a parade involving traditional Chinese dragon, lion and unicorn dancers as well as other interesting cultural displays.
For the third year running, the Chinese New Year celebration parade will start at Old Eldon Square bringing the festive celebrations into the heart of the city and will finish with a fire-cracking finale at the Chinese Arch in Chinatown.
The parade will take about 30 minutes to work its way along Blackett Street to Chinatown, ending under the Chinese arch at the official entrance to Chinatown at around 12 noon. Dragon, lion, and unicorn dance performances and Kung Fu demonstrations will take place after the parade and last for approximately 30-40 minutes. The lion will then visit a number of Chinese related premises in and around Stowell Street to symbolically rid these properties of evil spirits and bring good luck for the New Year.
Support from both NE1 Ltd and Newcastle City Council has allowed the Chinese community to extend the Chinese New Year celebrations in Newcastle, which this year will celebrate the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Zodiac.
Chinese New Year Festivities – Timetable
11 am
Parade starts at Old Eldon Square and makes its way up Blackett Street to Bath Lane.
11.30 - 12noon
Parade arrives on Stowell Street and the Chinese arch. Speakers will address the crowds, dragon, lion and unicorn dance teams will perform routines in front of the VIPs and assembled spectators with firecrackers to signal the end of the parade.
- The parade itself will last 20-30 minutes and terminate at the Arch. The dragon, lion, unicorn  and Kung fu demonstrations will then take place and last in the region of 30-40 minutes. The lion will then visit a number of Chinese related premises in and around Stowell Street which will take between 1- 2 hours.
12.30 pm
Lion Head outside Fujiama Restaurant on Bath Lane for people to have their photographs taken with the Lion.