Are you staying in Dubai for Chinese New Year this year? Are your parents flying in from overseas? You must be wondering if there is much going on for Chinese New Year in this city. Well, well – it probably won’t be the same as CNY back home but Dubai does do its very best to bring the festivities here – with lion dance performances, beautiful red lantern decorations and you can even get yee-sang at some of the restaurants.
This year – Chinese New Years Eve (除夕) falls on Tuesday 28th of January and Day One of Chinese New Year (初一) on Wednesday 29th of January 2025. Here are some of the events, activities and dining offers for families to mark the start of the Year of the Snake.
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From our family to yours – Gong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nien Kuai Le, Wan Shi Ru Yi.
Community Malls and Neighbourhoods
Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) Park
- When : Wednesday 29th January 2025 | 4-8 pm
- What : Take the kids to JLT to commemorate the vibrant traditions of Chinese New Year with a host of activities :
- Tea-tasting, calligraphy and crafts
- Chinese ring toss game, face painting and a chance to wear traditional Chinese garments.
- Witness captivating entertainment including Chinese traditional dancing, dragon dance and the Sichuan face changing performance.
Register on JLT’s Website.
Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR)
- When : Friday 24th – Sunday 26th Jan 2025 | Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd Feb 2025.
- What : Take the kids to JBR to watch the Chinese New Year Parade, and watch Kung Fu Panda, Mulan and Moana as part of the JBR Winter Nights Activation.
- Cost : Free
Have a look at @jbr_official on Instagram for more info
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The Dubai Mall
- When : Wednesday 29th January to Friday 31st January 2025 | 2 – 10 pm
- What : The Dubai Mall will be celebrating Chinese New Year at Chinatown – with roaming performances and entertainment. Full schedule below :
Dragon Mart
- When : Friday 31st January to Sunday 2nd February 2025 | 4:00pm onwards
- What : Dragon Mart is set to host an exciting lineup of performances over three days. Highlights include :
- Mesmerizing Chinese Thousand Hand Show, the captivating Chinese Face-Changing Show, and the elegant Chinese Umbrella Dance.
- Visitors can also enjoy a themed photo booth experience, where they can dress in traditional Chinese attire and capture memorable photos.
For more information about the activations, visit dragonmart.ae or follow @dragonmart on Instagram.
The Bay by Social by Dubai Festival City Mall
- When : Wednesday 29th January to Sunday 2nd February 2025 | 6:00pm onwards
- What : Celebrate Chinese New Year at The Bay by Social, with kids’ workshops, dance, chinese calligraphy and a host of live entertainment.
Have a look at @thebaybysocial on Instagram for more info
Theme Parks and Attractions
Terra Expo City Dubai
- When : Saturday 1st to Sunday 2nd February 2025
- What : The harvest festival at Terra will be doing a Chinese New Year – themed activation with a host of festivities :
- Drums of Prosperity, Lion Dance
- Make-a-wish Corner
- Chinese snacks
- Classic Games (Chopsticks, Mahjong, Ping pong) & much more
More on terra.expocitydubai.com
MOTIONGATE™ Dubai
- When : Saturday 18th January to Sunday 2nd February 2025
- What : Slither into the magic of Chinese New Year at MOTIONGATE™ Dubai with the following activities :
- Make your wish on the enchanting Cherry Blossom Wish Tree
- Join the Kung Fu Academy Show, an action-packed performance and the chance to meet Po himself for a memorable photo!
- Take on fun-tastic rides in the Kung Fu Panda zone including Mr. Ping’s Noodle Fling and Kung Fu Panda Unstoppable Awesomeness
- Savour authentic Chinese flavours at Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop
More on motiongatedubai.com
Get Discounted Motiongate Tickets
LEGOLAND® Dubai
- When : Friday 24th January to Sunday 2nd February 2025
- What : At LEGOLAND Dubai, families can dive into the vibrant spirit of the Lunar New Year with exciting activities, colourful decorations, and endless fun around every corner :
- Factory Street – Vibrant red and gold lanterns, lively sounds of traditional music
- Character Parade – Ollie and Olivia the Dragon, dressed in dazzling Chinese-inspired costumes, lead a vibrant parade
- Wishing Wall – Guests can pen down their hopes and dreams for the year ahead and place them on the beautifully adorned Wishing Wall
- LEGO ® Snake Build: – Guests of all ages can unleash their creativity and build their very own LEGO ® snake masterpiece
Get Discounted Tickets to Legoland Dubai
IMG World of Adventures
- When : Wednesday 15th January to Sunday 16th February 2025
- What : Help Flory and Freddy break the curse at the Temple of the Lost Fox at IMG World of Adventures. Enjoy traditional Chinese delicacies, and bring in a year of prosperity with dragon dances and thrilling rides.
Get Discounted Tickets to IMG World of Adventures
The Green Planet Dubai
- When : Friday 24th January to Friday 31st January 2025 | 10am – 5pm
- What : The Green Planet™ Dubai is celebrating Year of the Snake by spotlighting its new and most captivating resident – the majestic Burmese python.
- Once a day, the Burmese python will make special appearances, offering guests the rare opportunity to interact with it
- Enjoy hands-on arts & crafts to create unique snake-inspired keepsakes
- The rainforest will be adorned with exquisite lantern decorations, adding a festive and vibrant touch in honour of Chinese New Year traditions
Get Discounted Green Planet Tickets
Restaurants
Eauzone One&Only Royal Mirage Dubai
Eauzone at One&Only Royal Mirage welcomes families to celebrate the Year of the Snake with an exquisite dining experience. The festivities begin with Yee-Sang – a traditional prosperity toss salad, Seafood Dumplings and Main Courses such as Peking Duck and Beef Scallions Stir-fry. End the evening with a trio of lunar desserts – Sesame Balls ( 煎堆 ), Sweet Glutinous Rice Cake ( 年糕 ) and Sweet Rice Balls ( 汤圆 ). The traditional Lion Dance will be happening on Wednesday 29th of January – a timeless tradition that depicts strength and ushers in abundance.
27th to 31st January 2025 | 6pm onwards. 368 AED per person – See Set Menu. +971 4 315 2412 Email here. Book here.
Here’s a sneak peak of the Chinese New Year dining experience at Eauzone
Shang Palace Shangri-La Dubai
The Fortune Snake Ying Xin Chun Menu will be available at Shang Palace over Chinese New Year, featuring a Chinese Rainbow Fish Salad, Chinese New Year Dim Sum Platter together with soup, mains and dessert.
On the official Lunar New Year Day – falling on Wednesday 29th of January, the iconic Lion Dance performance will begin at 10:08 am, the auspicious time for the act. A Wishing Tree is placed in the lobby, inviting guests to share their hopes and aspirations for the New Year.
Shang Palace also offers “Yu-sheng,” or ‘Yee-sang” the Chinese Rainbow Raw Fish Salad, starting at AED 118 as an add-on to the set menus.
28th January to 3rd February 2025 | Available Lunch & Dinner. Set Menu – 228 AED (Vegetarian) | 388 AED (Standard) per person +971 4 405 2703 Email here. See menu, and more details on Shangri-La’s website.
GBR & Dukes Bar Dukes the Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel
Families are invited to indulge in a lavish Chinese buffet at Great British Restaurant – featuring dishes such as Chicken Char Siu Salad, Sticky Glazed BBQ Short Ribs, Peking Duck, and Cantonese Steamed Fish amongst many other chinese delicacies. Adding to the celebration, live Lion Dance performances will bring the vibrant spirit of the Year of the Snake to life. Dukes Bar will also offering specially themed cocktails including zesty Dukes Shaddock featuring pomelo juice, or the elegant Martini 1314 with lychee.
GBR – 29th January 2025 | 7:00PM – 10:30PM. 190 AED per person. Dukes Bar – Daily, 28th January to 28th February 2025. 75 AED per cocktail. +971 4 455 1101 Whatsapp here. Email here.
Malaysian Nusantara Lunar New Year’s Dinner My Square, Doubletree by Hilton Business Bay
My Square will be celebrating Lunar New Year this year with a Malaysian Nusantara Lunar New Year’s Dinner by Chef Rene Johari, featuring unlimited food and beverages. There wil also be a Yee-Sang tossing at 8pm – so come on time!
29th January 2025 | 7:00PM – 10:30PM. 139 AED per person. +971 55 314 7523 Email here.
Planning a Chinese New Year feast at home with the family?
If you’re cooking at home – we highly recommend shopping at Wemart. We have been getting all our chinese groceries from there for as long as we have been living here – that’s all your chinese leaf vegetables, chinese sauces, noodles, frozen fishballs and so much more.
Other than that – look at Organic Foods and Cafe as well for fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, and especially if you need pork for your CNY feast. Thinking of Roast Pork (sau rou 烧肉 ), or otherwise Chinese BBQ Pork (char sao 叉烧)? Get your pork belly, pork tenderloin, pork ribs – all from Organic Foods and Cafe. You probably wouldn’t believe that it is actually cheaper than a lot of other supermarkets in Dubai! We also highly recommend getting your chicken bones from Organic Foods as well – if you’re planning to make soup, for your CNY Feast 🙂
Tip : Use LILONE15 for 15% off online orders at Organic Foods and Cafe!
Here’s a few snapshots of our Chinese New Year this year :
Check back as we add more venues to this listing!