Taking place from Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 February, Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome have shared what festival goers can expect at the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations next weekend.

From 12pm until 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a craft market in Southside, complete with creations from local crafters and businesses, an array of street food and funfair rides for the whole family.

Lion and dragon processions in partnership with Bullring & Grand Central will take place in and around Rotunda Square, near the Bullring Bull on Saturday. There will also be pop up dances and the chance to meet Pom Pom, the giant ten-foot panda across the weekend.

On Sunday, Hippodrome Square will come alive with The Uber Eats Stage as part of the main festival celebrations. Showcasing over 30 performances, the programme includes Lion & Dragon dances, K-pop dance, traditional Chinese dance, face changer performances, school choirs, Tai Chi and more.

From 12pm until 5.30pm on Sunday, visitors can also step into Birmingham Hippodrome via its Thorp Street entrance for face painting and free family activities including decorating snake puppets, trying calligraphy and colouring traditional Chinese New Year Zodiac animals and messages.

In the afternoon, festival goers can also enjoy a performance showcase in the Patrick Studio from MOVE Midlands. The emerging Birmingham-based theatre company empowers British East & South East Asian creatives to make new productions that share stories and voices of the underrepresented.

Festivities will come to a close in Hippodrome Square at 5.45pm with a spectacular Fireworks Finale welcoming in the Year of the Snake.

Jeffrey Yap, Chair of the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee said: “We are thrilled to be co-producing Chinese New Year Festival 2025 with Birmingham Hippodrome. With the support of our incredible sponsors, we have curated a festival that not only celebrates the New Year but the Chinese & East Asian community, including local businesses, performers and festival goers. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the Southside District and to celebrate with you!”

Matt Evans, Head of Festivals & Sites at Birmingham Hippodrome added: “From performances on The Uber Eats Stage and in our Patrick Studio to a range of activities in and around Southside, there really is something for the whole family to enjoy. The full programme is now live on our website so you can plan ahead and catch all your favourites! We look forward to kick starting the celebrations with Bullring & Grand Central on Saturday and having a weekend full of fun, festivities and community spirit.”

Accessibility is at the heart of The Uber Eats Stage. On Sunday, the Access Hub at the front of Birmingham Hippodrome will enable visitors to find out about the programme, the chill out zone and accessible viewing point and borrow ear defenders, fidget toys and audio description headsets. The Uber Eats Stage programme will have British Sign Language interpretation throughout.

Chinese New Year 2025 is co-produced by Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome. This year’s festival is sponsored by Uber Eats and supported by Southside District, The Arcadian, Wing Yip and Brothers Foundation and The Birmingham Chinese School. The Saturday programme is in partnership with Bullring & Grand Central.

To find out more, please visit: birminghamhippodrome.com/chinesenewyear