Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade is to make its way through city centre once again this year after a two-year hiatus.
As Manchester gets ready to celebrate Chinese New Year 2023 and mark the Year of the Rabbit, the popular Dragon Parade – which is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region – is to bring a spectacular show of colour back to the city centre next weekend.
Organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM), in partnership with Manchester BID and Manchester City Council, the 175ft Chinese dragon will be weaving its way through the city’s streets on Sunday 22 January.
The dragon will be joined by traditional lion and ribbon dancers, Chinese Opera performers, twelve Zodiac animals, and Ancient Army characters.
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with us from 21 January 🐰
In what is a new route for 2023, the dragon will perform outside Manchester Central at 12pm, before making its journey via Mount Street, to Peter Street, Oxford Street, Portland Street, Princess Street, Faulkner Street, and finishing off in Chinatown, where there will be a whole host of other exciting events to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
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There will be a live performance stage, a fun fair, Chinese arts and crafts workshops, and an authentic selection of street food stalls to make the most of in Chinatown from 12pm-7pm.
There will also be two glittering illuminated night dragon performances at 5pm and 6pm.
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Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade is to make its way through city centre once again this year / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
The Dragon Parade isn’t all we’ve got to look forward to for Chinese New Year 2023 here in Manchester though, as there’s plenty of other celebrations on the lineup for the full week too.
You may have already noticed that thousands of traditional red lanterns have appeared in trees up above to brighten the city’s streets, and on top of this, there’ll also be a week-long residency of traditional street food stalls in Piccadilly Gardens from Saturday 21 – Sunday 29 January, and a final performance from the illuminated night dragon to close this year’s festivities at 5pm on Sunday 29January in Piccadilly Gardens.
Other venues participating in celebrations this year include Manchester Central Library, which is hosting a Chinese New Year Celebration for families from 12pm-4pm on Sunday 22 January with free crafts, Chinese performances, workshops and face painting, and Ducie Street Warehouse is hosting a Chinese Brush Painting workshop from 2pm-4.30pm on Sunday 22 January too.
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The popular Dragon Parade is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
Dragon Parade Performance and Parade Times
12pm-12:30pm – Performance outside Manchester Central
12:30pm-1:15pm – Dragon Parade from Manchester Central to Chinatown
1:15pm – Dragon Parade arrives at Chinatown
1:15pm-1:45pm – Performances at Faulkner Street Car Park and Chinatown
“I’m very happy this year as we will welcome the return of the Dragon Parade, as it has been two years since we have been able to wake up the dragon to bless the city,” said Lisa Yam – president of the FCAM ahead of this year’s celebrations.
“The Year of the Rabbit is sure to be a great year for us all.”
There will also be a whole host of New Year celebrations in Manchester’s Chinatown / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
Jane Sharrocks – District Chair of Manchester BID – added: “This is the eighth consecutive year we’ve partnered with the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester on the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations.
“We’ve adorned the city with thousands of traditional red lanterns once again for 2023 to help welcome in the Year of the Rabbit and we’re delighted see the return of the Dragon Parade which is always a real crowd pleaser and highlight of the celebrations.”
Club de Padel to close current Manchester location to make way for more Deansgate Square skyscrapers
Daisy Jackson
Club de Padel, the first padel club to open in Manchester, will be relocating from its Deansgate Square home.
The wildly popular sports club will close next week, as landowners Renaker begin the next phase of development of the skyscraper district.
Club de Padel is keeping its new location under wraps for now – but will be going out from its current Manchester home with a bang.
The club, which welcomed more than 100,000 people in the first year alone, will be offering free padel for all before it closes at Deansgate Square.
Club de Padel launched back in 2023, with four competition-grade courts, and has since added a Finnish sauna experience with Good Sauna, launched a best-selling clothing range with UN:IK, plus become the home for Manchester’s most popular run club with MADE Running.
As well as that, the club has been donating free courts and coaching during the school holidays to local children’s charity Wood Street Mission, and hosting events with the likes of adidas, REFY and Blank Street Coffee.
It’s been one of the city’s top sporting success stories, attracting attention from the likes of The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Hypebae and the BBC.
But now Club de Padel will be leaving its current home ahead of Renaker’s expansion of its luxury skyscraper district.
Club de Padel ManchesterClub de Padel is at the foot of the Deansgate Square towers
As for that new top-secret location opening later this year – they’re promising an ‘indoor and outdoor space in an incredible location, featuring an expanded padel experience, high-end wellness and social spaces, and a year-round programme of events’.
Club de Padel founders said in a statement today: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built here in Manchester — bringing padel to the city centre for the first time and introducing tens of thousands of people to the sport during our time on Deansgate.
“But this site was never meant to be permanent, and we’ve been limited in what we can build here, so the time is right to move on, grow and improve.
“We’ve learned a huge amount from our time in Manchester and from opening our second club in Sheffield last year, and we’re excited to reveal the locations of our new sites — including the new Manchester club — and begin the next phase.
“In the meantime, we want to thank everyone who has made this club so special, and invite them to enjoy a free game of padel on us.”
Club de Padel will close to begin its Manchester relocation on 14 January.
You can book a free hour of padel between 9 and 14 January, through the usual Playtomic system – you’ll be refunded for your booking in full on arrival.
‘Big John’ is bringing his ‘BOSH’ bingo to Manchester
Danny Jones
Attention, all you ‘Big John’ lovers, the man himself is coming to Manchester this year for his very own ‘BOSH Bingo’ show.
Excessively large takeaway order not included*
That’s right, ‘Big John’ Fisher has gone from being a viral sensation famous for eating shedloads of Chinese and saying that one catchphrase to hosting his very own live bingo tour.
Even by his standards, his announcement video was an eye-catching one, to say the least – and we expect the event itself to be equally hilarious.
— big john the boshfather (@Johnfis08605918) January 7, 2026
For anyone somehow unfamiliar with ‘The Boshfather’, there isn’t a single sentence that isn’t completely accurate, and that doesn’t sum up pretty much everything you need to know about the man, the myth, the legend.
Besides his son, Johnny Fisher Jr., being an aspiring boxer and fellow influencer on the side, as well as having appeared on Newsnight to talk about the UK’s multiculturalism being what makes this ‘Great Britain’ (legend), his legacy will very much be written online and on the back of a take-out menu.
Or will it?…
Riding the back of his growing popularity and being quite literally the physical representation of a British bulldog, he’s now preparing to do live shows all over the country.
Set up at the start of the New Year, the 51-year-old will be heading to Manchester city centre and more throughout 2026 for his debut BOSH Bingo tour.
Visiting 12 locations in total, he is promising “rave intervals, on stage competitions, ‘bosh’ prizes and, of course, a sprinkle of chicken balls for good measure.”
Put simply, not only the chaos of everyone’s favourite Bongo’s, “This is not your average bingo night, it’s BOSH BINGO!”
Sounds ridiculous… We’re SO there.
Coming to The Grosvenor on Oxford Road on 21 February, before heading to the likes of Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield, just to name a few, you can grab your tickets right HERE.
Let’s just say there’s some very silly but nevertheless fun and fantastic stuff happening in town this year.
Emily Sergeant -
13th January 2023 
