The Chinese New Year celebration begins on Saturday, February 14th at the Atrium City Hall. This marks the start of the Year of the Horse. The celebration features colorful performances of dance, music, and acrobatics by artists from China and Chinese associations in the Netherlands. There will also be a Chinese culture market with activities for all ages. And on Saturday, February 21st, the festive parade with Chinese lions and dragons will take place in The Hague’s Chinatown.

Chinese New Year on February 14 and 21 in The Hague
The Chinese New Year celebration, also known as the National Spring Festival , kicks off on Saturday, February 14th, at the Atrium City Hall. This is the 24th annual national Chinese New Year celebration at this location. There will also be a Chinese culture market with dance, music, and activities focused on Chinese art and culture in the Amare theater hall, next to the Atrium City Hall. And on Saturday, February 21st, there will be a festive parade with Chinese lions and dragons in The Hague’s Chinatown, complete with Chinese fireworks. A Chinese culture market will also be held in Amare on the same day, featuring dance, music, and activities for everyone.
The Chinese New Years celebration on Saturday, February 14th, opens around 10:30 at The Hague City Hall. And the parade in The Hague’s Chinatown on Saturday, February 21st, starts around 13:00 at the Rabbijn Maarssenplein.

Program Atrium City Hall

• 10:30 hours Opening market stalls
• 11:30 hours Official opening
• 12:00 hours Welcome words and speeches
• 13:00 hours Wu-opera performance
  • Suona Solo Picking Dates
  • Three Triumphs Over the Skeletal Demon
  • Traditional performance “9-piece segmented dragon”
  • “Dangma”
  • “The Goddess of Heaven Scatters Flowers”
  • “Lyu Bu Tries the Horse”
  • Face-Changing
• 14:00 hours Lokale optredens van Kinderdans & Jeugd Peking Opera
• 15:30 End program

Unique in The Hague
For the first time, the Chinese New Year celebrations will be spread over two days in The Hague. The national opening at City Hall and the closing parade in The Hague’s Chinatown together mark the beginning and end of this Chinese New Year celebration. This makes the National Spring Festival unique to The Hague: the national celebration on Saturday, February 14th, and the local celebration on Saturday, February 21st.

Year of the Horse
Atom Zhou, a Hague entrepreneur and chair of the National Committee for Chinese New Year in the Netherlands: “On Saturday, February 14th, we’ll kick off the national Chinese New Year celebrations at The Hague City Hall, and on Saturday, February 21st, the local celebration will take place in Chinatown in The Hague. Throughout that week, Chinese entrepreneurs will have decorated their shops and restaurants in the spirit of Chinese New Year with plenty of red and gold. Officially, Chinese New Year falls on February 17th, the Year of the Horse. In our culture, the horse represents freedom and energy. This animal also embodies passion and enthusiasm and encourages people to pursue their dreams with dedication. These values are a perfect fit for a celebration that brings people together. This inspired us to celebrate Chinese New Year together over two days, not just one. In China, the Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days. To organize the two-day Chinese New Year, we’re collaborating with various Chinese associations and Dutch organizations. We want everyone, young and old, to experience the rich Chinese culture.”

The organization’s website chineesnieuwjaar-denhaag.nl has all up-to-date information about February 14 and February 21, 2026. This website is the only place to go for questions about both events.