The oldest Chinese community in Europe is preparing to celebrate Lunar New Year in Liverpool.
2026 will move away from the year of the snake and into the year of the horse, which symbolises freedom, vitality, independence, and success, representing energy, ambition and movement.
Lunar New Year is an important cultural event in Liverpool due to the Chinese community which has been in the city since the 1860s.
Sarah Vasey, Arts Development Officer for Culture Liverpool and the Animation Manager for Chinese New Year in Liverpool, said: “The Chinese community has been in the city for hundreds of years and are a key part.
“The event itself is lead with the Liverpool Chinese business association and the Merseyside Chinese community group associations.”
She said there will be various types of entertainment and activities including parades, markets, arts workshops, craft stalls and the food concessions.
Some of the entertainment provided at the event will be performed by local dance groups that Culture Liverpool work with.
Sarah said: “The community associations tend to have dance groups associated with their particular region where there from in China.
“This is shown through the difference in costumes, dance styles and the types of music that those different regions showcase.”
Last year Culture Liverpool introduced a quiet day on the Saturday of the Chinese New Year weekend and is confirmed to be making a return this year.
Sarah said: “The quieter day is to make the event more accessible for people who might find Chinese New Year itself a bit overwhelming.”
This year Lunar event does have something new that hasn’t been seen at previous celebrations in Liverpool.
Sarah said: “We have commissioned some specific bespoke Chinese lanterns from China.”
Sarah added they have three lanterns coming over which will be displayed in Liverpool One and the Royal Albert Dock.
The hope is that they can receive more lanterns each year and use them for future Chinese New Year events to come.
Featured image: Unsplash
