On Saturday 21 January we’re inviting everyone to ring in Lunar New Year with an exciting programme of festivities across Greenwich town centre.
Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site will play host to a full day of activity linking the National Maritime Museum and Old Royal Naval College, through Greenwich town centre, as part of the Greenwich Light Time series.
The event will culminate in a colourful light show from 5.30pm until 8.30pm. Alongside live performances by Chinese dancers, lions and dragons, the Old Royal Naval College colonnades and iconic domes will be illuminated and shining beams of light will shoot across to the Queen’s House and classical buildings.
A lively programme of activities will be taking place throughout the day, from live performances, family workshops, talks and tours at the National Maritime Museum and planetarium shows at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, to a special late-night opening of the Museum of the Moon at the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College. Join us at any time, from 10am to 8.30pm, to get stuck in.
Also on the menu, at Old Royal Naval College, is a mouth-watering street food market, run by local Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA), serving up freshly made, delicious dishes by local traders from 12noon to 7pm.
You will have a chance to tuck into authentic Chinese food at UStick, noodles at One Pan Noodle, Venezuelan arepas at Peter’s Panas, Indian from Chai Junction, African from Maame T’s Kitchen and vegan delights from Delice and Joy’s Caribbean Fusion, who was highly commended at the 2022 Royal Greenwich Business Awards.
The Greenwich Light Time programme of events is delivered with the support of the Mayor of London’s High Streets for All Challenge, secured by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and local project partners including GCDA, Greenwich Market, Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, Old Royal Naval College, Royal Museums Greenwich, University of Greenwich and Visit Greenwich.
Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills, said: “The joyful Lunar New Year celebration is the perfect opportunity to enjoy everything Greenwich town centre has to offer — from the bustling markets, and unique businesses on the high street to our award-winning museums and world-heritage sites — with the added benefit of the event running later into the evening.
“The town centre is the beating heart of our communities and an essential part of our economy. This is why we are committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive and resilient evening time economy in the area, which will aid economic recovery and open up opportunities for our businesses and residents.
“We are delighted to have secured the support and the funding from the Mayor of London’s High Streets for All Challenge and to be working with our valued partners, local businesses and market traders, to deliver this vision.”
Join the conversation and share your photos, videos and thoughts on the day using #GMTLunar
