Chinese New Year 2022 is on the horizon, and as always, Manchester has a whole week of celebrations lined up to mark the occasion.
While Manchester’s usual annual celebrations for Chinese New Year – also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival – may be on a slightly smaller scale this year due to the COVID restrictions in place to allow visitors to safely enjoy the events, there’s still plenty happening across the city centre to help bring in the ‘Year of the Tiger’.
Chinese New Year is officially being celebrated in Manchester this year from Tuesday 1 – Sunday 6 February.
As mentioned, 2022 has been named the ‘Year of the Tiger’, and according to the Chinese zodiac, people born in this year are predicted to be brave, competitive, unpredictable, and confident – just like the animal.
To honour 2022’s animal namesake, a large-scale tiger art sculpture will take centre stage in St Ann’s Square as just one the events in the calendar.
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You may have also seen that thousands of red lanterns have started adorning the city’s streets, and you can also expect the chance to take in some spectacular live performances, feast on authentic street food, and a make the most of a funfair, plus some traditional lion and dragon dances over the course of the week too.
Here’s everything happening for Chinese New Year 2022 in Manchester.
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Chinese New Year is being celebrated in Manchester from Tuesday 1 – Sunday 6 February / Credit: Instagram (@chinesenewyearmcr)
The New Year Tiger
St Ann’s Square
Tuesday 1 – Sunday 6 February 2022
New for 2022, commissioned by Manchester BID, and created by Decordia Events, this jaw-dropping installation will be a structural take on the traditional tiger made from wood and recycled corrugated plastic.
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While we know that the tiger is a symbol of power in Chinese culture and is considered to be brave and forceful, this origami-like tiger sculpture, however, will give the ultimate illusion to those who lay their eyes on it, as it appears to be weak and made of paper, but in fact, it will remain tall and strong for the world to see.
The tiger’s inner structure will also playfully-match the stripes and markings of a real-life tiger, casting stunning shadows at night with surrounding lights.
Chinatown Celebrations
Chinatown
Sunday 6 February 2022
The iconic Chinatown arch in Manchester city centre / Credit: Visit Manchester
While sadly, popular annual events such as the parade and the firework finale will not be taking place in 2022 due to COVID restrictions, there’s still plenty to make the most of in Manchester city centre’s very-own Chinatown.
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Think live performances, workshops, street food, stalls, and a funfair, as well as the illuminated Dragon, and other family-friendly activities such as traditional lion dances, Chinese acrobatics, singing, poem reading, and Kung Fu.
Performances will take place from 11am – 7pm in Chinatown Car Park, and you can see the illuminated dragon on the hour from 4pm – 7pm in Chinatown itself.
It’s asked that you please wear a mask when possible at all Chinatown events.
The Door Opened: 1980s China
Manchester Central Library
26 January – 26 April 2022
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The Door Opened: 1980s China at Manchester Central Library, with photographs by Adrian Bradshaw / Credit: Manchester Central Library
Brought to Manchester Central Library by the Confucius Institute at The University of Manchester, from 26 January – 26 April, English photographer Adrian Bradshaw’s exhibition The Door Opened: 1980s China will feature a blend of candid and posed photographs exploring China in the 1980s.
Bradshaw went to Beijing as a student in 1984 just as everyday life was in flux, and caught up in the ferment of the time, he went on to spend three decades documenting the transformation of China as the vast nation changed and opened up to the world.
Photographs captured document everything from opulent fashion extravaganzas, to sentimental family excursions, as he captures the fleeting beauty and simplicity of everyday life.
It’s described as a vivid record of a pivotal period in modern history.
Manchester’s big wheel is returning to Exchange Square for the summer… sort of
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is set to reach new heights, as the big wheel that once stood proudly in the city centre is making a comeback this summer.
Well… sort of.
That’s because it’s not quite the same big wheel that many will remember from its glory days in locations like Piccadilly Gardens and Exchange Square throughout the 2000s, and more recently Albert Square during last year’s Manchester Christmas Markets – but it is a big wheel and it’s a big wheel that you’ll be able to hop on for a ride.
Celebrating the launch of its new Cloud Frappuccino blended drinks range, Starbucks’ Summer in the Clouds arrives in Exchange Square next Friday and Saturday (24 and 25 July), inviting people to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy panoramic views of the city below from a big Ferris wheel.
The two-day takeover will give customers the chance to unlock a ride on the big wheel with the purchase of any Grande or Venti iced drink from participating Manchester city centre Starbucks stores.
Both in participating stores – which in Manchester are Starbucks stores in the Arndale, City Tower Offices, on Market Street and on Fennel Street – and at the Ferris wheel itself in Exchange Square, you can expect complimentary Cloud Frappuccino-inspired candy floss, live music from DJ and presenter Ethan Porte, and a free photobooth with digital and printed photos.
Alongside the big wheel ride, there’ll also be the chance for members to win exclusive Starbucks merchandise across the two days too.
A limited number of additional ferris wheel ride tokens will also be available to win via the fairground-style Plinko game on site.
The new Starbucks Cloud Frappuccino blended drinks range includes a range of bespoke creations like the Strawberry Matcha Cloud Frappuccino, the Brown Sugar Cloud Frappuccino, and the Caramel Mocha Cloud Frappuccino.
With skyline views and summer sips, Starbucks says its Summer in the Clouds is set to be one of Manchester’s must-visit experiences this month.
Starbucks’ Summer in the Clouds arrives in Exchange Square next Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July.
Featured Image – Cédric Dhaenens (via Unsplash)
What's On
Road to Victory is all set to turn Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl into the latest World Cup fan zone
Danny Jones
Manchester’s smash-hit Road to Victory is hoping to bring its first-ever open-air World Cup fan zone to the city, as the event is set to take over Castlefield Bowl – on one condition.
It’s just the simple matter of if/when* we make it through.
The famous amphitheatre might be in the middle of their 2026 edition of the annual Sounds of the City festival, but given that England have advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 tournament, they’ve naturally decided to make some changes.
It might not be in time for this next game against Norway, but should we make it past the Scandinavian side, Castlefield Bowl will be welcoming roughly 9,000 fans for the semis and (touch wood) the final.
Announced this week, the Road to Victory (RtV) team – backed by production company and promoters AIX Live, who specialise in multi-sensory, immersive fan experiences – is pledging to move into their latest Manc venue for the upcoming fixture at the very least.
Having started over at Depot Mayfield before moving to the likes of Diecast and most recently AO Arena, they’re planning to make the most of the ongoing heatwave by securing the beloved Bowl.
With the Manchester Storm ice hockey team returning to the Arena, they’ve had to vacate ahead of preparations, but it could mean that we’re now looking at one of the biggest outdoor supporter parks in the country, let alone the North West.
Once again, we’ve already had The K’s, Wet Leg and Johnny Marr play the multi-date music series this year, and there are more concerts booked, but some understandable exceptions are now being made.
Obviously, how many Road to Victory dates we get here all depends on whether or not Thomas Tuchel’s side make it past Haaland and co., but it’s sure to be a memorable night nonetheless.
Should the boys make it to the semi-final, tickets for the supporter park right after the match and, unsurprisingly, the demand is expected to be huge. For context, more than 40,000 joined the party for the 2022 World Cup, and the previous Euros final in 2024 sold out the AO Arena. Wow.
With that in mind, we’d say be quick on the draw and get down early with doors from 5pm, as the Road to Victory pre-show will kick things off pronto, alongside live DJs, entertainment and bars – all of which promise to deliver an unparalleled festival-like matchday atmosphere.
You can get ready to register your interest and grab yours as soon as they go on sale right HERE; in the meantime, if you’re still wondering where the best places to watch England vs Norway in Manchester are, look no further:
Emily Sergeant -
18th January 2022 
