Lunar New Year celebrations in Sunderland - what you need to know
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565


Entertainment, arts and crafts and food from across Asia will be heading to Sunderland on February 9, to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Often referred to simply as Chinese New Year, the occasion is marked in countries across East Asia, as well as by millions of people in other nations around the world.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFrom 11am to 3pm on Sunday, Sunniside Gardens will be transformed to showcase East meeting West, with activities for everyone, organisers say.
The programme will include a range of musical performances including classical and modern dance, as well as musicians playing Chinese classical instruments and a fashion show.
Organisers said the day will feature the culture of everywhere from China to Malaysia, from Myanmar to Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.
Visitors will be able to watch an authentic dragon dance, as well as taking part in workshops including paper cutting crafts to celebrate the Year of the Snake, with sessions to make Chinese figures and snake bookmarks on offer to younger children.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThere will be the opportunity to try the noble art of origami – paper folding – as well as calligraphy, with visitors also able to buy Asian-inspired goods such as dragon puppets, masks and Chinese snacks.
Food traders will also be in line with the theme of the day, including Japanese street food experts, Arigato and XL Sushi, which offers hot sushi and Katsu curry dishes and more.
Sharon Appleby of Sunderland BID which is organising the event, believes it is going to be a day not to miss.
“We are excited to have put together a full programme of events which will represent so many cultures from across Asia,” she said.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“This is such an important day in the calendar and one that we have celebrated in Sunderland before, but not on this scale.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity for people of all ages to come and not only learn about other cultures but have a huge amount of fun.”
Timings


11:10 AM - ST ROBERT’S NEWMINSTER BAND
11:20 AM - MODERN DANCE PERFORMANCE
11:30 AM - CLASSICAL CHINESE INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE
11:40 AM - STREET DANCE
11:50 AM - TRADITIONAL FASHION SHOW
12:05 PM - CHINESE RAP PERFORMANCE
12:15 PM - CLASSICAL DANCE PERFORMANCE
12:25 PM - LIVE BAND
12:35 PM - DRAGON, LION & UNICORN DANCE
1:05 PM - CLASSICAL DANCE PERFORMANCE
1:15 PM - ST ROBERT’S NEWMINSTER BAND
1:25 PM - CLASSICAL CHINESE INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE
1:35 PM - STREET DANCE
1:45 PM - TRADITIONAL FASHION SHOW
2:00 PM - CHINESE RAP PERFORMANCE
2:10 PM - MODERN DANCE PERFORMANCE
2:20 PM - LIVE BAND
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.