5 Inspiring Ways to Welcome Lunar New Year 2026 in London — Curated by Cult Taiwanese Restaurant BAO's Creative Director Erchen Chang
From trusted spots for Chinese seasonal cocktails to art shows championing Asian talent and beautifully packaged skincare fit for a mindful reset, say hello to the Year of the Horse the BAO way
A 15-day-long festival coinciding with the first new moon of the lunar calendar, Lunar New Year 2026, also known as Chinese New Year, is finally here. Following 2025's Year of the Snake, the arrival of the so-called Year of the Horse promises plenty of luck and success in the months ahead. And trust us when we say this isn't just great news for everyone impatiently awaiting the return of spring — which, by the way, based on the lunisolar calendars, begins today — and the start of a new life cycle.
In London, at least, where thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of the British capital, gathering across Chinatown, Trafalgar Square, and the West End in the world's biggest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia this Sunday, the festivity also serves up a valid excuse to indulge in the city's buzzy culinary scene. Particularly as many of its most beloved restaurants with roots in the East prepare to welcome guests with limited-edition Year of the Horse-themed set menus and drinks.
That's why we decided to ask Erchen Chang, the co-founder, creative director, and all-around tastemaker behind cult Taiwanese concept BAO, and creator of its iconic restaurant merchandise, for a little help with planning a Lunar New Year 2026 itinerary worth remembering — so that, besides catching the mesmerizing lion awakening ceremony and light show scheduled for February 22, you could discover more under-the-radar art and design-led ways to mark the Year of the Horse and keep inspired.
Joined by co-founders Shing Tat Chung and Wai Ting Chung and the rest of the team, Chang teased BAO's Lunar New Year 2026 menu with a special pop-up at Dover Street Market's Rose Bakery earlier this month. From chocolate-dipped, horse-inspired sweet baos to exclusive BAO T-shirts produced in collaboration with Carhartt WIP, equestrian motifs were the night's real protagonists. Below, she shares five of the best things to do, try, and see in London during Lunar New Year 2026.
1. Enjoy BAO's Three-Part Lunar New Year 2026 Feast
BAO's Lunar New Year 2026 menu boasts five courses cooked to be enjoyed together: "noodles for longevity, bao for luck, salmon tossing salad for prosperity, dumplings for wealth + fried chicken because it's delicious," the team says.
Find the BAO location closest to you
"To celebrate Lunar New Year 2026, at BAO we're offering a super considered Dark Horse Set Menu. Rooted in tradition, fortune symbolism, and a bit of play, it's a fun, thoughtful nod to a thousand-year-old ritual. (I'm biased, of course, but I'm also proud of the intention behind it)."
Obsessed with BAO's interpretation of the Year of the Horse, the Dark Horse Set Menu?
Image credit: BAO
Well, just know you are not alone. Book yourself in to test it out before February 26.
Image credit: BAO
2. Discover YDP, a New Platform for Asian Art Talent
Installation view of YDP's inaugural exhibition, Duan Jianyu's "Yúqiáo" at YDP, London, 2025. In the picture: Duan Jianyu's "Yúqiáo (The Fisherman and The Woodcutter) No.2" (2023).
19 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA
"Founded by arts philanthropist Yan Du, YDP is a new gallery championing Asian artists, beautifully curated by artistic director Billy Tang. Featured in the just-terminated collaborative exhibition Chapter 1: SOUNDINGS Living, Rehearsing…, the performative candle work of artist Liang-Jung Chen is meditative, ephemeral, and slightly haunting. Out of all works spotlighted at YDP so far, that's got to be my favorite one."
Overlooking Bedford Square Gardens, YDP finds its home in a Grade I-listed 18th-century townhouse redesigned in collaboration with Hong Kong-based studio BEAU Architects.
3. Hunt for Elegant Chinese Kitchen Utensils Downstairs at SeeWoo
"There's something grounding about well-made, purpose-driven objects — practical design that's evolved through use rather than trend." — Erchen Chang, co-founder and creative director of BAO
18-21 Lisle St, London WC2H 7BA
"Head downstairs at SeeWoo in Chinatown to appreciate a classic steel cleaver or soak in the elegance of Chinese kitchen utensils. There's something grounding about well-made, purpose-driven objects — practical design that's evolved through use rather than trend. Seewood captures all of that."
4. Gather More Creative Inspiration at "New Contemporaries"
Moving image still from River Yuhao Cao's "The Glass Essays" (2024).
"I have really enjoyed visiting the latest iteration of the annual London group exhibition New Contemporaries (to April 26, South London Gallery), which features emerging artists showing sharp, exploratory work. I was especially taken by Chinese artist-filmmaker and performance artist River Yuhao Cao's The Glass Essays (2024), a beautifully crafted film set in South China, which examines mourning as regeneration, rebuilding landscapes through memory, and seeing through the eyes of revenants."
Plan your visit to New Contemporaries at South London Gallery.
5. Round It All Off With a Drink at Bar Lotus
No celebration is ever complete without a much deserved drink, and with its seasonal Chinese cocktails and snacks, Bar Lotus fixes you up best.
480 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AE
"My bonus addition to this Year of the Horse lifestyle edit is Bar Lotus on Kingsland Road, where you'll find Chinese seasonal cocktails and fried chicken lollipops from Shanghai. You can't book a table, so get there early."
Learn more about the walk-in-only Bar Lotus.
Nestled in buzzy Dalston, Bar Lotus has carved itself a reputation as one of London's most creative bars.
Image credit: Bar Lotus
The pink and blue interiors, decorated with minimalist lines, let its innovative drinks menu shine.
Image credit: Bar Lotus
FAQs
When Is Lunar New Year 2026?
Coinciding with the very first new moon of the lunar calendar, Lunar New Year 2026 falls today, February 17. This is the start of a 15-day Spring Festival which, ending on March 3, marks the return of the good season.
What Countries Celebrate Lunar New Year?
Despite also being referred to as Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year is an Asia-wide celebration equally felt in countries like Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia, among others, as well as across the Asian diasporic communities across the world.
What Does the Year of the Horse Stand for?
The Year of the Horse takes its qualities from the animal's agile nature, resilience, and strength, promising positive energy and new rewarding adventures. People born in the Year of the Horse, then, are believed to be active and full of enthusiasm. More generally, we can expect to feel more daring, courageous, and independent, making Lunar New Year 2026 a good moment to reassess our priorities, explore, and take risks.
Get ahead of the game as the Year of the Horse comes into full force with these five feng shui mistakes to avoid this Lunar New Year 2026.
