Lunar New Year 2024 in Montreal: the best ways to celebrate

Every year, Montreal’s Lunar New Year Parade joyously makes its way through Chinatown bringing traditional dancing lion and dragon performances to the streets. Starting at 1 pm, the parade usually features the dancing prowess of the renowned Phoenix Arts School, as well as the Montreal Fo Guang Shan and Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club. The parade marches through Chinatown, located between De la Gauchetière Street, Saint-Urbain Street and St. Lawrence Boulevard. Look for the vibrant red lanterns and special performances like the lion dance. The parade will finish in Sun Yat-sen Park at 3 pm.

Celebrations will be taking place at the Montreal Eaton Centre from February 1 to 29 to usher in the Year of the Dragon. Look for the wish archway in the central courtyard in front of the Aldo store, where a Peking opera by Aurore Liang and Michelle Jiang will be performed at 2 p.m. on February 10 and 11. At 3 p.m. on the same days, get ready for a lion dance by Jimmy Chan’s troupe from the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club (Sainte-Catherine level, in front of the Uniqlo store next to Time Out Market Montréal). And on Saturday, February 10 at 4:15 p.m., be sure to catch the Lunar New Year ceremony (central courtyard on Sainte-Catherine level).

Montreal’s Chinese restaurants are where you'll find some of the best food in the city. Many traditional Lunar New Year foods are associated with layers of symbolism and good luck. Auspicious foods include dumplings, noodles, fish and sweet rice balls—just to name a few—which can be found at Montreal's delicious Chinese restaurants.

Sun Yat-sen Park will be specially lit up and decorated for the Lunar New Year. Visitors will be able to purchase a ribbon, write a wish for the new year on it, then hang it from a branch of the Wishing Tree—and discover whether 2024 will be a year of luck and fortune with a Kau Chim (Chinese fortune sticks) reading. Feeling chilly? Warm up on the benches thanks to the standing heaters and free hot tea.

Head to the Bibliothèque de Saul-Bellow (3100 Saint-Antoine Street) on February 3 at noon to learn how Chinese noodles are made (and to enjoy some too), or to CRIC (2240 Fullum) on February 7 at 4:30 for activities and history about Lunar New Year traditions (plus snacks). Then on February 17 at 6 pm, it’s at the Church of St. Andrews and St. Paul that the fun happens: you can learn how to make dumplings or the skills of art and calligraphy before tucking into a celebratory potluck dinner.

February 16 will be a glamorous soirée thanks to the Dragon Ball Chinese New Year Gala, a glittering night to remember at the Olympia Reception Hall set to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dragon. Expect a family-friendly, immersive cultural experience showcasing the vibrant traditions of Chinese New Year infused with modern elegance.

Café Cléopâtre will celebrate in its inimitable way on February 9 at 8:30 pm with a Lunar New Year Show presented by Lust Cove, starring some of our favourite queer Asian burlesque performers, stripteasers and pole artists. Get ready to get Lunar mooned by Miss Scarlett Knife, Mx Jay, Lychee Storm, Mina Minou, Minx Arcana, Bellamie Beastly, Kaya Koko and Mei in an extravaganza that’ll keep your heart beating all the way until next year.