Dublin Lunar New Year Festival

Dublin Lunar New Year 2026 Dates: 14th February – 22nd February 2026 Location: Various venues across Dublin Dublin comes alive this February with a colourful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Marking the Year of the Horse, this vibrant festival blends traditional culture with modern creativity through a packed programme of events across the city. Families can enjoy free drop-in workshops, live performances, street festivities, exhibitions, food experiences and more — many of them specially designed for children and young people. Here are some of the standout family-friendly events taking place during the festival: 🎨 Thursday 12th – Sunday 15th February Auspicious Eight: Fire Horse Edition Flux, Dublin A striking art exhibition presented by Takeaway Collective, featuring Irish-based artists connected to Lunar New Year traditions. 📦 Saturday 14th – Friday 20th February Horse Artpack for Families and Schools Downloadable activity pack by artist Heather Grey Creative home and classroom activities to mark the Year of the Horse. 🎬 Sunday 15th February Online Spirit of the Horse: Family Creative Workshop National Gallery of Ireland (Online) Create colourful, abstract horse-themed art from home in this accessible online session for all ages. 🎨 Sunday 15th February Family Drop-in New Year Creativity Workshop National Gallery of Ireland Led by artist Chun Zhu Wang, this hands-on art session welcomes children to explore Lunar New Year through playful design. 🐉 Thursday 19th February Families Drop-in: Dragon Crowns Chester Beatty Children can design and decorate their own colourful dragon crown in this free creative session. 👩‍🎨 Thursday 19th February Lunar New Year Parent and Child Workshop Cabra Library A collaborative session with artist Kim Jenkinson inspired by horse-themed artworks from the Hugh Lane collection. 🎨 Friday 20th February Families Drop-in: Fire Horse Lanterns Chester Beatty Make your own bright and fiery paper lantern while learning about the Year of the Horse. No booking required. 👧 Friday 20th February Tour of the National Gallery in Mandarin National Gallery of Ireland Join Chun Zhu Wang for a child-friendly Mandarin-language tour of highlights from the collection. 🎤 Sunday 22nd February Face Painting & Family Fun Wolfe Tone Square Transform into dragons, horses or lucky symbols with Magic Wand Facepainting, part of a day of family-friendly events on the square. 🎭 Sunday 22nd February Cantonese in Ireland Celebration Booth Wolfe Tone Square A vibrant cultural stall where families can try calligraphy, games, Tang suits and traditional activities together. 🎪 Sunday 22nd February Hill Street Family Resource Centre Celebration Hill Street, Dublin 1 A welcoming community event with performances and activities for families of all backgrounds. 🎨 Saturday 21st February Trilingual Workshop & Art Session Alliance Française A multilingual workshop where children...