Happy Chinese New Year!

Dynamic Chinese New Year celebrations to usher in the Year of the Rabbit are set to captivate Southend town centre on Saturday 5th February.

Southend Town Centre Partnership’s unmissable day of culture and entertainment features lion dancers, a Chinese school choir, firecrackers, Chinese acrobats and much, much more.

The Worshipful the Mayor of Southend, Councillor Ann Holland, will be joined by the lion dancers to launch the spectacular event at 11am at the top of Southend High Street outside the Odeon Cinema.

There will be activities throughout the day in Southend High Street, at the Victoria Shopping Centre and the Royals Shopping Centre.

A lantern parade starts from outside the Royals at 4pm and there will be a Firecracker Finale with the lion dancers at 4.30pm on the site of the former York Road market.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Regeneration, Councillor Ian Robertson, said: “Our Chinese New Year celebrations this year are the biggest we have held so far, so there will plenty of performances both indoors and outdoors to enthral and delight our residents and visitors.”

The Programme is as follows:

· 11am – 4pm Lantern Making Workshop, The Royals Shopping Centre

· 11am - 11:45am Lion Dance, Victoria Circus & Victoria Shopping Centre

· 12:30pm - 13:30pm Acrobatics, the Victoria Shopping Centre

· 1pm – 1:20pm Chinese School Choir, The Royals Shopping Centre

· 1pm – 1:30pm Lion Dance, Central High Street

· 1pm - 3:30pm Chinese Instrument Workshop, The Royals Shopping Centre

· 1:30pm Chinese Calligrapher, The Royals Shopping Centre

· 1:30pm - 1:45pm Chinese School Choir, The Victoria Shopping Centre

· 2pm – 3pm Acrobatics, The Royals Shopping Centre

· 2pm – 4pm Origami Workshop, The Victoria Shopping Centre

· 2pm – 4pm Chinese Opera Face-Painting, The Victoria Shopping Centre

· 2.30pm - 2:45pm Tai Chi Demonstration, The Victoria Shopping Centre

· 2:30pm – 3pm Lion Dance, The Royals Shopping Centre

· 3:15pm - 3:30pm Tai Chi Demonstration, The Victoria Shopping Centre

· 4pm High Street Lantern Procession, From outside The Royals Shopping Centre

· 4:30pm - 4:45 Lion Dance & Firecracker Finale, York Road

Look forward to seeing you all there!