The Best Spots To See The Chinese New Year Parade in Paris in 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse

If you’re in Paris on February 1, 2026, you’ll see the Chinese New Year Parade take over the Champs-Élysées to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. This year’s lineup is twice the size of last year’s, with 600 performers from France and China arriving to transform one of the world’s most famous avenues into a sea of dragons, dancers, and traditional music.

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The parade has moved beyond its traditional home in the 13th arrondissement’s Chinatown to claim this iconic stretch in the 8th.

The horse, representing strength and movement in Chinese culture, sets the tone for a celebration that’s expected to pull close to 200,000 people into the streets to watch the show unfold.

A group of women in matching red and green traditional dresses perform a fan dance on the Champs-Élysées with the Arc de Triomphe in the background during the Chinese New Year Parade in Paris. Spectators line the sidewalks on both sides of the street. — Photo Credit: Loic Lagarde

When and Where Paris Celebrates Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year falls on February 17, 2026, but Paris kicks off celebrations two weeks early with the main parade on February 1st, when the Champs-Élysées goes car-free for the day.

Most parades across the city follow the actual date, though the festivities here stretch over roughly two weeks, compared to the month-long celebrations you’d see in China.

Paris has four neighborhoods where Asian culture runs deep. Three are predominantly Chinese- and Southeast Asian-residential areas that host the big parades and main celebrations. The fourth is a Japanese-Korean enclave that’s become known for its restaurants and trendy spots.

There’s also a celebration along Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which is decidedly not an Asian neighborhood but still puts on its own CNY parade and festivities.

The Year of the Fire Horse

Parade participants dressed in traditional Chinese attire carry golden horse figures on sticks under a bright blue sky at the Chinese New Year Parade in Paris. Red lanterns hang in the trees behind them.

The horse sits seventh in the Chinese zodiac’s twelve-year cycle, and 2026 marks the Year of the Fire Horse specifically. In Chinese culture, horses represent energy, independence, and forward movement.

People born in horse years are thought to be enthusiastic, quick-witted, and naturally drawn to freedom rather than routine. The Fire Horse designation adds another layer. Fire horses only come around every 60 years, and they’re considered particularly spirited and strong-willed.

The last Fire Horse year was 1966, so this is the first since then. Historically, Fire Horse years have been seen as times of intensity and change, bringing both opportunity and challenge in equal measure.

If you’re wondering whether you’re a horse, the previous horse years were 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, and 1966. The zodiac follows the lunar calendar rather than the standard January to December year, so anyone born in January or early February needs to check exactly when the lunar new year fell that year to know their sign.

Chinese New Year Parades in Paris 2026

A vibrant Chinese dragon dance with performers holding a long, colorful purple and red dragon costume weaves through a crowded street during the Chinese New Year Parade in Paris. Red lanterns and vertical banners with Chinese characters hang in the background.

The best places to celebrate Chinese New Year in Paris and where to see the parades and celebrations in the various arrondissements.

No. 1 Quartier Asiatique (13e arrondissement)

The 13th arrondissement’s Quartier Asiatique hosts the biggest Lunar New Year parade in Paris. This neighborhood holds the city’s largest Asian residential and business community, so it’s no surprise that they put on the most impressive show.

Chinese lanterns and banners start appearing along Avenue d’Ivry and the surrounding streets a few days before the New Year officially begins, and they stay up for about two weeks. The parade usually falls on the second Sunday after the New Year, though that timing isn’t set in stone.

The route runs between Avenue d’Ivry, Porte de Choisy, and Avenue de Choisy. Dragons and lions weave through the crowds. Floats roll past in bright colors. Musicians, dancers, and drummers fill the streets with sound and movement.

The neighborhood is predominantly ethnic Chinese with family roots in French Indochina, but you’ll also see Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian influences throughout the celebration.

No. 2 Belleville (10th, 11th, 19, & 20th Arrondissements)

A detailed dragon head with a mosaic of shimmering sequins and flowing silk ribbons, a central figure in the lively Lunar New Year parade in Belleville.

Belleville throws a distinctly Chinese New Year celebration. Lions and dragons dominate the parade, joined by martial arts demonstrations and traditional dancers. The neighborhood spans parts of four arrondissements (the 10th, 11th, 19th, and 20th), and residents here have roots mostly in China’s eastern and southern coastal provinces.

Rue de Belleville closes to traffic and transforms into a pedestrian village. Lanterns line the street, and a massive dragon hangs suspended overhead. Light displays turn the area into something out of a different era, and the whole stretch becomes a stage for the weekend-long festival.

More than 60 artists and performers take part. Chinese lion and dragon dances happen throughout the day. Drummers keep the energy high. Eng Go Bhu stilt dancers tower above the crowds. Chinese acrobats flip and balance.

The main stage sits at the corner of Rue de Belleville and Boulevard de la Villette, with continuous performances running all weekend. There are speeches too, from the mayors of all four arrondissements plus Chinese Embassy representatives, though most people are there for the spectacle rather than the politics.

The food market is the other major draw. Over 60 stalls line Rue de Belleville, selling bao, noodles, dumplings, grilled skewers loaded with meat and vegetables, and Chinese pastries. You’ll also find Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean specialties mixed in.

Unlike the 13th arrondissement with its Southeast Asian diversity, Belleville keeps the focus on Chinese customs since relatively few Vietnamese or other Southeast Asians live here. The food market is where you get a broader representation of Asian cuisine.

No. 3 Marais (3rd & 4th Paris Arrondissements)

Performers in traditional Chinese opera attire with elaborate headpieces and painted faces during the Marais Chinese New Year celebrations, conveying a sense of cultural heritage and theatrical artistry.

The oldest Chinese community in Paris sits in a small pocket of the Upper Marais, just east of the Arts et Métiers Métro station. The first families arrived from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in the early 1900s.

More came in the late 1940s after World War II ended, most from the same region of eastern China. Today, the neighborhood covers just a few blocks along Rue au Maire and Rue Volta, below Rue Réaumur.

The parade here isn’t the biggest in Paris, but it might be the original. It’s definitely the most colorful. Lions and dragons lead the way through the streets. A traditional dragon island float rolls past with performers in elaborate costumes.

Drums and cymbals clash. Marchers wear traditional Chinese ceremonial dress. Music fills the air, and firecrackers explode at intervals to scare off bad luck.

Kids can get free face painting before the parade starts. The Pierre Ducert French-Chinese Cultural Association at 29 Rue Michel le Comte (3rd arr) does makeup from 10 am to noon. It gets busy, so arrive early if you want this.

The parade kicks off at Place de la République and winds through Rue du Temple, Rue de Bretagne, Rue de Turbigo, and Rue de Beaubourg. The route crosses both the 3rd and 4th arrondissements before it ends.

No. 4 The Champs-Élysées Goes Big This Year (8th Arrondissement)

Performers in elaborate lion dance costumes, including bright purple and black lions, entertain the crowd in front of a Villeroy & Boch storefront during the Chinese New Year Parade in Paris. A golden dragon dance is visible in the background.

The Champs-Élysées parade used to be one of the smaller Chinese New Year celebrations in Paris, covering only about three blocks of the famous avenue. Not anymore. This year’s event has expanded dramatically, with over 600 participants and a route that stretches well beyond the original path.

The parade happens on the first Sunday of February, when the Champs-Élysées and many other Paris streets go car-free for the day. Dancers wear Hanfu, the traditional clothing of Han Chinese culture, and carry flags as they move through the crowds. Nine dragons and 15 lions weave between performers.

An equestrian pantomime dance brings horses into the spectacle. Martial arts demonstrations break out along the route. Music follows the entire procession, and a fan dance closes out the show.

The Guizhou troupe adds another dimension to the celebration. Fifty members of the Guizhou Business Association in France march in traditional costumes representing the Miao, Dong, and Shui minorities, performing to “Awaiting You in Guizhou.”

Their clothing is elaborately decorated and showcases China’s regional diversity. There’s also a group of robots joining the parade, which sounds completely out of place until you see them interacting with spectators and realize it works.

The finale emphasizes cultural exchange between France and China, which makes sense given the sponsors. The Barrière Group, which owns Fouquet’s, and LWS Pak Mei organized the parade with backing from the Chinese Embassy, the City of Paris, the 8th arrondissement, and various French and Chinese businesses.

About 200,000 people are expected to show up. The parade starts at Fouquet’s (99 Champs-Élysées, at the corner of Avenue George V) and heads up to the Arc de Triomphe, where it pauses for 15 minutes. Then it continues down Avenue Foch, Avenue d’Iéna, Avenue Victor Hugo, Rue Lauriston, Avenue Kléber, Rue Vernet, and Avenue Marceau. The extended route gives you multiple spots to catch the action.

The Symbols of the Chinese New Year

Each of these symbols carries deep meaning and is a vital part of welcoming the new year with hope, prosperity, and happiness.

A bustling street scene at night beneath a canopy of glowing red lanterns, symbolizing the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Red Lanterns: These bright decorations are a staple of Chinese New Year, illuminating streets and homes. Red is the color of good luck in China, and the lanterns symbolize joy, prosperity, and good fortune.
Dragon and Dances: Both dances are performed during celebrations to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits. The lion dance, featuring two dancers in lion costumes, is a display of agility and strength. The dragon dance, requiring a team to manoeuvre a long, flexible dragon figure, symbolizes power and wisdom.
Red Envelopes: Known as ‘hongbao’ in Mandarin, these are filled with money and given to children and young singles. They represent wishes for good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
Drums and Firecrackers: The loud bangs of firecrackers and the rhythmic beats of drums are essential to the festivities, believed to scare away evil spirits and attract good fortune with their powerful sounds.

Final Thoughts on Watching the Chinese New Year Parade in Paris

February is a great month to come to Paris, whether it’s to celebrate Valentine’s Day or to celebrate Chinese New Year.

If you’re planning to attend, it’s a free event that promises a blend of tradition, culture, and entertainment whilst celebrating the Lunar New Year in Paris.

The City of Love comes alive with color throughout this winter month and is quite a sight to see.