Timings and road closures announced for Manchester’s Chinese New Year Dragon Parade 2026

Road closures have been announced as Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade makes its way through the city centre this month.

As Manchester gets ready to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 – which officially begins on Tuesday 17 February and runs through to Tuesday 3 March – and mark the ‘Year of the Horse’, the iconic Dragon Parade will be making its grand return to the streets of our city centre, and bringing a spectacular show of colour and light along with it.

In case you’re unfamiliar with what the Dragon Parade is all about, it’s the focal point of the city’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations – and it’s a real spectacle, to say the least.

The parade is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region each year.

Celebrations officially kick off on Saturday 14 February this year, and as the headline of the festivities, the popular parade is set to take place the day after (Sunday 15 February).

Once again, organisers are expecting visitors in their thousands to turn out and watch as the famous 175ft Chinese dragon weaves its way through the city’s main shopping streets.

In order for the parade and other events to be carried out safely, a number of road closures and parking suspensions will be put in place, and a full list of those, as well as parade timings, have now been announced by Manchester City Council.

Here’s everything you need to know.

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Parade route road closures

From 10am to 3pm on Sunday 15 February:

• Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street) soft closure at the junction of Peter Street / Deansgate. Access for residents and businesses only.
• Oxford Street (Peter Street to Whitworth Street West)
• Portland Street (Chepstow Street to Chorlton Street)
• Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street)
• George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
• St James Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
• Back George Street (Dickinson Street to Princess Street)
• Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Novotel Hotel Entrance/ End of Faulkner Street)
• Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
• Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)
• Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street)
• Soft Closure inbound at Whitworth Street / Princess Street, Whitworth Street/ Sackville Street and Whitworth Street / Chorlton Street junctions. No through traffic. Access to residents, businesses and buses only.  
• Reverse of the one way at Major Street (Princess Street to Sackville Street)

Chinatown closures

From 5am on Saturday 14 February to 11:59pm on Sunday 15 February:

• Nicholas Street (Portland Street to George Street)
• St James Street (Princess Street to Nicholas Street)
• Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)

From 5am to 11:59pm on Sunday 15 February:

• Reyner Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
• Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
• George Street (Princess Street to New York Street)
• Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
• Back George Street (Dickenson Street to Charlotte Street)
• Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)

 Parking suspensions  for Chinatown

From 12:01am on Friday 13 February to 11: 59pm on Sunday 15 February

• George Street (New York Street to Dickinson Street) 
• Nicholas Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street) 
• Faulkner Street (New York Street to Princess Street) 
• Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
• Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
• Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)

Parade route  parking suspensions

From 8pm on Saturday 14 February to 4pm on Sunday 15 February

• Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street) 
• Mount Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
• Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Whitworth Street West) 
• Hall Street (Oxford Street to Bale Street) 
• George Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street) 
• Back George Street (Dickinson to Princess Street)
• St James Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street)
• Chepstow Street (Oxford Street to Great Bridgewater Street)
• Portland Street (Chepstow Street to New York Street)
• Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)  
• Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street) 
• Sackville Street (Major Street to Portland Street)
• Abingdon Street (Major Street to Portland Street)
• Faulkner Street (Mercure Hotel to Princess Street)
• Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)

Parking suspensions include the Chinatown car park, all pay and display bays, accessible parking bays, and taxi ranks.

On top of this, there will also be disruption on the Metrolink too, as between 12pm and 1pm, there will be congestion around St Peter’s Square due to an increased number of pedestrians, and passengers are therefore told to expect delays.

Read more:

• Legendary Dragon Parade returns to Manchester to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026
• Manchester’s ‘super duper’ family festival full of FREE activities is back next month
• Salford is celebrating 100 years of being its own city with FREE community events throughout 2026

As always, this year’s celebrations have been organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM), in partnership with Manchester Business Improvement District (BID) and Manchester City Council.

Featured Image – Chinese NY Manchester (via X) / CityCo