Lunar New Year 2026
Mon 16 Feb
Crafts and Chinese National Gala Screening 12-4pm, Warwick SU Performances 4 - 6pm
Warwick Arts Centre and Warwick SU
Lunar New Year at Warwick is back for 2026!
Get ready to welcome the Chinese Year of the Horse in style.
Brought to life by the Together at Warwick team in collaboration with a diverse range of student societies, there is a schedule packed with vibrant performances, hands‑on crafts, traditional snack tasting, and a wishing tree to share your hopes for the year ahead. Whether you celebrate every year or you’re discovering the festival for the first time, this inclusive, student‑led event is all about connection, culture, and community.
Come along and celebrate with us - everyone is welcome!
Instagram Giveaway!
Fancy your chance to win in the run up to Lunar New Year?
Follow us @WarwickTogether (hyperlinked https://www.instagram.com/warwicktogether/Link opens in a new window) on Instagram and keep your eyes peeled for our first prize giveaway of 2026 coming soon!
Lucky Purse/Envelope
12-4pm, Warwick Arts Centre
4-5:30pm, The Atrium, Warwick SU
There are lots of variations of this lovely tradition, including China, Korea! Everyone is welcome, why not swing by and collect your lucky red envelope or bokjumeoni (silk purse), filled with a gold chocolate coin for luck!
Live Screening of the Chinese New Year Gala
12- 4pm, Cinema, Screen 3
Warwick Arts Centre
Join us in this celebratory screening of the New Year's Gala LIVE from China, featuring all the traditional music, dance, comedy and drama performances and that all important count-down.
Crafts & Games
12-4pm, Gallery Foyer
Warwick Arts Centre
Enjoy a variety of craft activities, including origami, apricot blossoms, paper cutting and more! No booking necessary, simply turn up and have a go!
Traditional Snack Tasting
12- 4pm, Gallery Foyer
Warwick Arts Centre
Start the year of the Horse with something sweet!
Nothing says celebration more than a selection of delicious goodies, so why not indulge in a range of our authentic snacks and sample something from our Tray of Togetherness.
Wishing Tree
1- 2:30pm
Senate Lawn
Have you thought about your wish list for this year yet? Well, now is the time to get to it. Write your wish on the paper, tie it to the tangerine and throw it into the tree - if it hangs, the wish will come true. If not, maybe you were a little too greedy...
Mark the Lunar New Year with this beautiful tradition, particularly popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other regions!
FREE Hot Dumplings
4 -5:45pm, The Atrium
Warwick SU
Back by popular demand, we warmly invite you to come and try our mouth-wateringly delicious dumplings!
It’s a treat you won’t want to miss… we recommend getting there early to avoid disappointment.
and don't miss the showstoppers...
Lunar New Year: Student Performance Showcase
5 - 6:20pm, Copper Rooms 2
Warwick SU
Looking for more sparks of excitement and jubilation? Then get ready to ramp up the energy as student societies from across campus come together to perform a vibrant Lunar New Year showcase!
Experience an uplifting fusion of cultures and talents as groups unite on stage—bringing everything from traditional dance numbers to powerhouse rock performances. This joyful celebration of our Warwick community will ignite the festivities and spotlight artistic traditions from around the world!
Lion Dance Finale Performance
6:30pm,
Piazza
This is a show you won’t want to miss! Back for 2026, the Lion Dance will fill the Piazza and is the perfect chance to experience one of the most iconic celebrations in East Asian culture.
Expect thunderous drums, vibrant costumes, and the kind of atmosphere that pulls in a crowd, this is a high-light that will start your new year in style.
Why not tell us your coming by booking a place.
Why are we calling it Lunar New Year?
Within our university community, we have students, staff members and alumni from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom also celebrate this festival indifferent ways and often with different names including Spring Festival, Seollal, Tet and Losar.
Ahead of organising the celebrations, we have consulted a wide range of cultural societies around the naming convention for this festival including several of the Chinese societies, and many students favour the inclusivity of the term ‘Lunar New Year’ to reflect the wide variety of backgrounds and traditions encompassed in this celebration.
Therefore, in an attempt to increase inclusivity, the University is referring to this festival as the ‘Lunar New Year’, while also referencing the ‘Chinese’ year of the Horse, to acknowledge the broad consensus around the Chinese origins of the zodiac animals.
It is also clearly understood that individual societies, students, staff members and our alumni community will use the naming convention that feels most authentic to them.
We hope this helps to explain why we reference the Lunar New Year alongside the Chinese Year of the Snake within our University communications.
We feel our decision is in alignment with other key corporations and organisations, including the UN.
More information on the rationale for referring to this celebration as Lunar New Year can be found on the links below:
1) UN News, explains why Lunar New year terminology was chosen:
(Chinese) 联大通过决议将农历新年列为联合国假日| | 1联合国新闻(English version via Google Translate) UN General Assembly passes resolution to designate Lunar New Year as a UN holiday | 1 UN News
2)UN announcement (in a speech): Lunar New Year 2024 | United Nations in China
3) Chinese official news channel (Xinhua News): Spring Festival listed as UN floating hLink opens in a new windowoliday-XinhuaLink opens in a new window