Full guide to Liverpool's Chinese New Year 2023…

Full guide to Liverpool's Chinese New Year 2023 celebrations

Liverpool's Chinatown is set to become home to a festival of sound and colour as the city prepares to celebrate Chinese New Year this weekend.

A packed programme of free events will take place on Sunday, January 22 as Liverpool welcomes the Year of the Rabbit. The celebrations will include the traditional dragon, lion and unicorn parades, along with firecracker displays, family workshops and tai chi demonstrations.

There will also be live music, a fairground and a selection of food and craft stalls for guests to enjoy. Culture Liverpool has also commissioned a series of free cultural pieces, which will be taking place on the run up to the event. These pieces are free and will culiminate in a spectacular fire finale from Liverpool-based group, Bring The Fire.

A projection show will light up the Bombed-Out Church until Sunday, January 22. Created by Focal Studios, in partnership with artists Eleonora Asparuhova and Laura Sullivan, a six minute show called The Lunar Rabbit will be projected on the tower inside the grounds.

There will also be three specially designed Chinese New Year rabbit lanterns, standing 1.5 metres high, which will take pride of place near the Chinese Arch, created by local artist Becky Bryson. Chinese New Year celebrations will take place in and around the Great George Square area from 11am to 5pm on January 22. More information can be found on the Culture Liverpool website.

Programme details for Sunday, January 22 at Great George Square

12-12.15pm - DJ Yeti
12.15-1pm - Pagoda Arts – Flower Drums, Fan Tai Chi, Dance and Happy Dance
1-1.40pm - Firecracker Display – Lucky Man, Dragon and Unicorn Parades
1.40-1.50pm - Liverpool Hung Gar Kung Fu Friendship Association – Martial Arts Demonstration
1.50-1.55pm - DJ Yeti
1.55-2.15pm - Wah Sing Chinese Community Centre Dancers – Traditional Chinese Dance and Song
2.15-2.20pm - Friendship Dancers Moonlight Waltz
2.20-2.45pm - Tian and LIMF Academy (in association with Pagoda Arts)
2.50-2.55pm - Wirral Chinese Cultural Association: Classical Dance – Dream in Flowers
2.55-3pm - North East Wales Chinese Women’s Association – Traditional Chinese Dance
3-3.10pm - Movema Dance – Silk
3.15-3.20pm - UK Phoenix Qipao Chinese Cultural and Art Association – The Big Fan Dance ‘WanJiang’ and The Silk Scarf QiPao show ‘The Picture Scroll of Love’
3.25-3.30pm - Friendship Dancers – Beautiful River (Chinese Line Dance)
3.45-4.10pm - Tian & LIMF Academy (in association with Pagoda Arts)
4.15-4.25pm - Movema Dance – Silk
4.30-4.55pm - Bring the Fire Project