Join us in celebrating Chinese New Year 2026 – the Year of the Horse with a vibrant programme of cultural activities open to the entire Queen’s community.
Carrying a symbolic meaning of energy, resilience, openness, and forward movement, the values of Year of the Horse strongly align with Queen’s commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and global engagement.
Image Credit: Jean Jing
Chinese New Year at Queen’s is not only a celebration, but also a platform for strengthening belonging, collaboration, and mutual understanding across cultures.The programme aims to recognise the shared experiences of our international and Chinese communities, while creating spaces for mearningful learning, participation and connection.
This year’s programme continues to bring together students, staff, alumni, and civic partners to celebrate cultural heritage while fostering meaningful intercultural dialogue across our University community through a series of inclusive events, ranging from cultural performances and creative workshops to volunteering initiatives and community partnerships.
This CNY Celebration Programme is a collaborative effort by Queen’s staff teams (The Language Centre, QUB iRISE Staff Network, One Elmwood Student Experience Team, Queen’s Students’ Union) and societies (Chinese Students’ Society, Success Lion Dance Club, KPOP Society), supported by Diversity and Inclusion Unit, People and Culture.
2026 Year-round Exhibitions
- Jean Jing
- Lili LI
- Siya Zhang
- Wenli Zhang
- Isabella Souza McLaughlin
- John Leonard
- Yang NI
- Eimear Carson
- Anna Tan
- Maysee Wei
- Xiyan Wu
- Xiyue Wu
January 2026
| Date | Time | Event | Output |
| Mon 19/01 | 13:00- 16:00 | CNY Arts and Crafts Workshop 1 | Viewable |
| Mon 26/01 | 13:00- 14:30 | Eutopia Arthouse Film Festival Information Session and Screening | Registration Closed |
February 2026
| Date | Time | Event | Output |
| Fri 06/02 | 13:00- 16:00 | CNY Arts and Crafts Workshop 2 | Viewable |
| Fri 06/02 | 19:30- 21:00 | Chinese Singing Competition (CSSA) | Registration Closed |
| Mon 09/02 | 18:30- 20:00 | The Way of Zen (PhD Research Documentary) | Sonic Lab, SARC access |
| Wed 11/02 | 19:00- | Chinese Paper Cutting (BT9) | |
| Thu 12/02 | 12:00- 14:00 | CNY: Embrace the Year of the Horse (School of Law) | Registration Closed |
| Thu 12/02 | 19:00- | Chinese Silk Fan Painting (BT9) | |
| Fri 13/02 | 12:00- 16:00 | CNY Celebration Launch and Culture Fair | Viewable |
| Mon 16/02 | 13:00- 14:00 | Shakespeare, Cinema, China | Viewable |
| Mon 16/02 | 19:00- | Year of the Horse Craft Night (BT9) | |
| Tue 17/02 | 14:00- 16:00 | QBS Lunar New Year Celebration (QBS) | QBS acccess |
| Tue 17/02 | 17:30- 18:00 | CNY Celebration – Lion Dance and Lanyon Building Illumination | Viewable |
| Wed 18/02 | 13:00- 14:00 | When AI meets Chinese New Year, Tradition and Innovation in Harmony | Viewable |
| Wed 18/02 | 15:00- 16:30 | Celebrate CNY – Gallap into Greatness 1 (AHSS) | Registration closed |
| Thu 19/02 | 13:00- 14:30 | Irish Music and Sport in China – My Professional and Social Life Stories | Viewable |
| Mon 23/02 | 13:00- 14:00 | Painting with the Shuttle: Chinese Kesi Technique in Silk Tapestry | Viewable |
| Wed 25/02 | 13:00- 14:00 | Starting from Small Grant: Reflections on the Challenges and Opportunities of Interdisciplinary Research | Viewable |
| Wed 25/02 | 15:00- 16:30 | Celebrate CNY – Gallap into Greatness 2 (AHSS) | Registration closed |
| Thu 26/02 | 13:00- 14:00 | Think culturally, act locally – Understanding the Chinese community’s concerns about the Future Care Planning in Northern Ireland | Registration |
| Sat 28/02 | 12:00- 15:00 | Fun Time with Table Tennis at Queen’s | Registration |
March 2026
| Date | Time | Event | Output |
| Sun 01/03 | 13:00- 16:00 | Bridges to China Project Launch (Ulster Museum) | Fully booked |
| Mon 02/03 | 14:30- 16:00 | Lantern Festival – CNY Celebrations Closing Event | Open access |
April 2026
| Date | Time | Event | Output |
| Mon 20/04 | 13:00- 15:00 | UN Chinese Language Day Forum | |
| Wed 22/04 | 15:10- 17:00 | Book Launch – A Linguistic Ethnographic Study and Author Talk |