Chinese New Year Festival The Hague
Procession
Celebrate Chinese New Year in The Hague! On Saturday 17 February 2026, the festivities will kick off with the Chinese New Year Festival in Chinatown, The Hague. This spectacular event celebrates the start of the new year according to the Chinese calendar, a time full of happiness, prosperity and tradition.
Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the year in Chinese culture and always takes place in late January or early February, due to the difference between the Western and Chinese calendars. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is entirely in the sign of the snake which in Chinese astrology symbolises wisdom, prudence and mystery. Unlike Western constellations, the Chinese zodiac is based on the year of birth rather than the month of birth.
Programme (subject to change)
The festival will be festively opened at 12.30pm on the Gedempte Burgwal, where new lions will be brought to life according to age-old traditions. The ceremony is accompanied by an impressive drum show. At 13:30, the Chinese lions and dragons, accompanied by music, march through Chinatown. The parade starts with popping fireworks at Gedempte Burgwal and the Chinese Gate. After that, you can enjoy the colourful parade along Gedempte Burgwal, Gedempte Gracht, Wagenstraat, St. Jacobstraat and Rabbijn Maarsenplein until 6pm.
From 12:00 to 18:00, you can also see a special exhibition with sculptures of the Chinese zodiac, to be found on Rabbijn Maarsenplein and the car park near the Bijenkorf.
History
According to lore, which is many centuries old, the celebration heralds the beginning of something new in which good fortune and prosperity play the leading role. Evil spirits are expelled and all good things return. To welcome the new year full of goodness, fireworks are set off, such as one hundred thousand bangers and dazzling ornamental fireworks.
The Chinese lion and dragon dance also plays an important role in this. The dragon is known to symbolise higher descent and power, while the lion symbolises good fortune and prosperity. Hence, Chinese New Year is always heralded festively with a colourful dragon and lion dance parade, accompanied by lots of decorative fireworks and, of course, a delicious Chinese banquet for family, friends and important relations.
Practical information
The Chinese New Year festival is free to all. Please note that streets in Chinatown are car-free all day. Coming by car? You can park in the Q-Park garage at Amsterdamse Veerkade or in the car park at Lutherse Burgwal 25.