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Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade is back to celebrate Chinese New Year 2023

A whole host of other celebrations will also taking over the city centre to mark the Year of the Rabbit.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 13th January 2023

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.

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 29 January 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.

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“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.”

Featured Image – CityCo & Manchester BID

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Noughties throwback Lemar announces special 20th anniversary gigs in Manchester and London

Danny Jones Danny Jones Lemar Manchester gig 20th anniversary

The one and only Lemar is back now only with new album but two special shows to mark his 20th anniversary in music.

A chart-topping, BRIT and MOBO award-winning artists who rose to popularity in the early 2000s, Lemar has sold millions of albums worldwide and is now returning with his first new record in nearly eight years.

Having released his latest 80s funk inspired new single, ‘Future Love’, today (7 February) and officially announced his upcoming seventh album, Page In My Heart, the noughties pop and R&B artist is back on the scene and thought it only fit to pay tribute to 20 years in the biz.

Two decades on from his debut album, Dedicated, Lemar is hosting a pair of anniversary shows in London and right here in Manchester. Now this is going to be quite the throwback.

Best know for hit tracks like ‘It’s Not That Easy’, ’50/50′, ‘What About Love?’, ‘Another Day’ and many more, the 44-year-old returns to the stage with a new sound but one that also calls back to his roots and early work.

Speaking in a statement, Lemar says: “With this new album, I wanted to make something for anyone who ever bought Dedicated, as this year is 20 years since its release. I thought I’d like to make something for the people who got behind that album, something that they would appreciate and like.

Descirbing his new single, he went on to say, “it’s more uptempo, it’s got that soulful feel, it’s a bit looser, a bit Chaka Khan. A bit ‘Dance (With U)’… it’s got that kind of energy to it.”

The Tottenham-born singer hasn’t been ‘away’ per se, having continued to perform up and down the country in recent years, but both he and his fans have been waiting “patiently” to get the right collection of songs together to release new material.

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His last album, The Letter, released back in 2015 and delighted die-hards but he says this latest project is about reconnecting with his fans, insisting that “it really is a page from my heart.”

Lemar will celebrate two decades of music and the 20th anniversary of Dedicated live with two special nights at O2 Ritz here in Manchester and London indigo at The O2 on the 27 and 28 of April, respectively. You best believe we’ll be getting one.

Tickets go on sale on 10 February at 10am. Tickets will be available HERE and at Ticketmaster.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Supplied/Lemar (via YouTuvbe)

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An award-winning pie and mash cafe is opening in Manchester

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

This month award-winning piemakers Great North Pie Co will officially open in Manchester city centre, bringing its high-quality goodies to Kampus for the very first time.

Serving up a modern take on traditional pie and mash dinners, a new, seasonal menu features four butter-pastry pies, stuffed to the brim using only the best ingredients from North West producers.

From 14-hour braised beef and ale pies, to roast chicken and mushroom and the company’s hero classic Lancashire cheese and onion, pie fans can expect to find classic flavour combinations done well at the cosy and intimate new space.

Each pie on the menu is served with a wide range of sides, with choices including buttery mash or proper home-style chips, cauliflower cheese, pickled red cabbage, mushy garden peas or chip shop mushy peas all served with roast onion and brown sauce gravy or the house curry sauce- the ultimate feed.

There will also be weekly comfort food specials such as lamb and pea steamed suet puddings, corned beef hash, Lancashire Hot Pot, and keema and chips.

Image: Great North Pie Co
Image: Great North Pie Co

To round off the perfect meal, puddings include school dinner-style sweet treats like chocolate sponge and custard and the classic sticky toffee pudding. 

Breakfast sandwiches will be served daily between 10:30am and 2.30pm and will feature quality versions of all the breakfast classics including Cheshire Smokehouse honey-cured bacon and Stornoway black pudding.

The drinks menu, meanwhile, includes the likes of Manchester Union Lager on draught, a selection of quality wines and proseccos, plus a handful of spritz style cocktails.

Read more: All the February Manchester restaurant deals, discounts and offers you need in 2023

With booth-style seating for 20 inside and an outdoor area seating area for up to 30 more overlooking the Kampus garden and canal, the cosy new pie cafe is the first resident to arrive on the cobbles of Kampus’s Little David Street.

Neil Broomfield, co-founder of Great North Pie Co, said: “Since we started making pies it’s always been an ambition to have a base in the city centre.

“We’d been looking for a while and as soon as we saw Kampus, Little David Street and the gardens, we knew it was the right place for us. While it’s our first city centre venue, we don’t have plans  to rollout out any more, as we place our focus on keeping the quality and consistency we aim for.

Image: Great North Pie Co
Image: Great North Pie Co

“We just want to concentrate on doing one thing and doing it well. The mix of traders coming into Kampus is amazing and we’re so proud to be part of it.”

Read more: Huge waterside food hall to breathe life into old Manchester warehouse

Great North Pie Co also has venues in Lake District’s Ambleside and in Altrincham Market.  Its products can also be found at monthly farmers markets, where they started the business, in locations such as Urmston, Knutsford, Northwich, Altrincham, Chester, Wilmslow, Chorlton, Bakewell, Macclesfield and West Didsbury.

The pie brand supplies pubs and restaurants nationwide and also supplies to the likes of Booths, Robinsons’s brewery, Dukeshill Hams, Manchester City Football Club, Stockport County FC, and other popular pubs and restaurants across the country.

Read more: A new Deep South-inspired dive bar is coming to Manchester’s Northern Quarter

Its new cafe will officially open its kitchen & bar at Kampus on Monday, 27 February, with its handcrafted pies available to take away cold as well as eat in.

Feature image – Great North Pie

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