Sheffield is set to welcome the Year of the Horse with the most ambitious Lunar Chinese New Year Festival the city has ever seen in association with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield BID and car brand Chery.

At the heart of the celebrations is a free two-day festival in the Peace Gardens from Saturday 21 to Sunday 22 February, featuring world-class performers, street food, parades, music, a spectacular lion dance and family-friendly activities in the centre of the city.

Leading up to the weekend, a wider programme of events will take place across Sheffield – including a light switch-on at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, breath-taking performances at a ticketed gala show at The Octagon, community exhibitions and performances at Meadowhall, and a series of free workshops for schools delivered in partnership with the Confucius Institute.

Now in its third year as a major public event, the Sheffield Lunar Chinese New Year Festival is presented by Cultural Inclusive CIC with support from Sheffield BID and Sheffield City Council. 

This year, the festival welcomes Chery as title sponsor, following the global car brand’s launch in the UK last year, with a range of petrol and plug-in hybrid SUV models. Chery will be present throughout the weekend, hosting public activities and showcasing its award-winning range of TIGGO SUV models.

The festival officially begins on Monday 16 February with a special light switch on at Sheffield Children’s Hospital followed on Wednesday 18 February by the return of the ticketed Gala Spectacular at The Octagon featuring an electric evening of Chinese acrobatics, martial arts, dance, and live performance, with all proceeds going to The Children’s Hospital Charity.

On Friday 20 February, Meadowhall will come alive with a free evening of performance at The Oasis, rounding off a week of cultural exhibitions hosted in The Gallery from 15–20 February.

The festival reaches its peak in Sheffield city centre on the weekend of 21 and 22 February, with a packed programme of free activity in the Peace Gardens and surrounding areas. Highlights include world-class Chinese acrobats and the internationally acclaimed Acrobatic Lion Dance team from Foshan, China, performing at the top of Fargate. They’ll be joined by international dancers, musicians, martial artists and local community groups across two days of celebration.

Audiences will gather outside Sheffield Town Hall on Sunday for the symbolic Eye-Dotting Ceremony, awakening the spirit of the lions and officially opening the festivities. This will be followed by the dramatic “Lion Meets the Dragon” moment and a parade through the city centre to the Peace Gardens, with the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Safiya Saeed, confirmed to attend. Hosted by Dom Ng and Liesl Soards, the Peace Gardens stage will showcase a rolling programme of performances, including lion and dragon dances, martial arts, traditional and contemporary Chinese dance, cultural fashion, live instrumental sets and further appearances from the world-class Chinese acrobats.

A standout moment of the weekend will be the International Cultural Costume Show, hosted and choreographed by former supermodel Heather Stewart-Whyte and featuring Miss South Yorkshire 2025/26, Whitney Dsane. The show will open with a welcome from Baroness Anette von Kohorn, International Ambassador of the Chengdu Fashion Industry Association, and will bring together models and community representatives from across South Yorkshire. Miss South Yorkshire has been reimagined by Cultura Creative to make the platform more inclusive and representative. Cultura has built its reputation on replacing narrow, stock visuals with authentic and diverse representation.

Reflecting the city’s multicultural identity, the festival is not limited to Chinese heritage alone. This year’s programme features South Asian, African, Roma, Filipino, Thai and the Sheffield Kerala Association, with an open invitation for all cultures to share the stage. The programme will also include performances from Rotherham Theatrical Student Academy who will perform 2 songs from the musical ‘Chicago’ and performances from Sheffield Music Services.

To extend the festival’s impact into schools, a partnership with the Sheffield Confucius Institute will offer free one-hour cultural and language workshops to classrooms across the city in the lead-up to the main event. Activities include calligraphy, brush painting, Mandarin taster sessions and Chinese crafts, helping build awareness and connection through creative learning.

Festival organiser Jerry Cheung said: “This festival has always been about more than just performance. It’s a chance for us to come together, to learn from each other, and to build bridges between communities. The response in 2025 was incredible – and this year, we want to take that even further. Sheffield is a city of many cultures, and this festival belongs to all of us.”

Diane Jarvis, Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield BID said: “Sheffield BID is proud to support the city centre celebrations for Lunar Chinese New Year 2026 for a third year. As a major partner to this festival, our focus is on ensuring events like the Peace Gardens weekend bring real vibrancy, footfall and economic benefit into the heart of Sheffield. This festival showcases the best of our city’s cultural energy, and we’re delighted to help create a welcoming and engaging experience for businesses, visitors and communities alike.”

Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, Chair of the Economic Development, Skills and Culture Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Lunar New Year has quickly become one of Sheffield’s most anticipated cultural celebrations, and we are delighted to support its return for 2026. This year’s festival is set to be the biggest and most inclusive yet, showcasing the incredible diversity, creativity and community spirit that make our city so special.

“Bringing world‑class performances, family activities and city‑wide events, the festival not only celebrates Sheffield’s rich multicultural identity but also brings thousands of people into the city centre, supporting local businesses and creating unforgettable experiences for residents and visitors alike.

“We are proud to work alongside Cultural Inclusive CIC, Sheffield BID and partners across the city to help make this celebration possible. The festival truly reflects the welcoming, vibrant and outward‑looking Sheffield we continue to build together.”

Cultural Inclusive CIC leads the festival with the support of Sheffield BID, Sheffield City Council and Chery. It is free to attend, open to all, and designed as a celebration of the city’s people and spirit.

To find out more, book tickets for the Octagon show, or get involved, click here.