Sheffield to celebrate Chinese New Year with its ‘biggest’ festival to date
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Sheffield is set to celebrate Chinese New Year with its “biggest” festival to date – featuring events across the city over the next 12 days.
The Lunar Chinese New Year Festival 2025 will begin with a light switch-on at Sheffield Children’s Hospital later today (30th January), followed by performances at Meadowhall shopping centre on Friday.
This weekend will see the Peace Gardens Lunar Fair bring two afternoons of cultural music, dance, and performances to the city centre. Starting at 12pm on Saturday, the event is free to attend.
Then, on 10th February, the University of Sheffield’s Octagon Centre will host the final event of this year’s festival – a gala of further cultural performances – with ticket profits donated to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital charity.
Jerry Cheung – who founded the Sheffield festival in 2004 – said of the upcoming events: “This festival is close to my heart because Sheffield is my home, and I’m proud to see how it has become a celebration that welcomes everyone. Lunar New Year is a hugely important date for many in our city, and the festival provides a space to share not only Chinese traditions but also the many cultures that make Sheffield what it is today.
“This is about more than just marking the Lunar New Year—it’s about creating an event that brings people together and highlights the strength of our diverse communities. I’m so proud to see Sheffield come alive during this festival.”
According to the 2021 census, Sheffield’s Chinese community accounted for 1.3 per cent of the total population. Among the universities, the number of Chinese students is believed to be more than 8,000.
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Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Jayne Dunn, said: “As we welcome the Lunar New Year, I’m delighted to celebrate this occasion with Sheffield’s wonderful Chinese community.
“The contributions of the Chinese community have added so much to the cultural life of our city, and this festival is a chance for us to come together, enjoy the celebrations, and honour the traditions that make our community unique.”
The full programme of events is available here.
Featured image by Yu Wang
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