Parade of lights, glamor and rumbling dragons returns

The streets of Tsim Sha Tsui will come alive with floats, music and dances on the first day of Year of the Dragon as the Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade returns on February 10 after a four-year hiatus.

The parade will feature nine floats and the largest number of 29 performing teams - comprising 13 local and 16 international groups from 10 countries - including Japanese female pop dance group Avantgardey, Spain's Light Dancers giant puppet performance and American professional cheerleaders.

A preparade street party will start at 6pm along the route, featuring 13 performing groups to warm up an expected crowd of 150,000 tourists and locals with dance, music and magic performances. Dragons will appear on most of the floats - to bring good luck in the Year of Dragon.

Departing at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza at 8pm, the floats will travel along Canton Road, Haiphong Road and Nathan Road, ending up outside Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers at around 9.45pm. A total of 2,500 tickets for spectator seats along the route will be on sale from 8am on January 27 at the Tourism Board's Kowloon Visitor Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are HK$300, HK$450 and HK$480.

Pang Yiu-kai, chairman of organizer Tourism Board, said the parade will be the first event to kick off a series of Lunar New Year celebratory activities. It will be followed by the fireworks display at Victoria Harbour on February 11 and the Chinese New Year Race Meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse on February 12.

"We want the international community to know Hong Kong is back," Pang said. "We hope to enrich visitor experience with activities, inviting them to enjoy the festival and immerse themselves in the city's charm as an East-meets-West cosmopolitan city."

Tourism Board general manager of event and product development Raymond Chan Chan-man said the board expects to attract about 150,000 spectators - 30 percent of whom would be tourists.

The parade cost is around HK$38 million - up 40 percent on the previous parade in 2019 - due to inflation and the larger number of performing groups.

People can also take pictures with the floats after the parade, which will be exhibited at the Urban Council Centenary Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui from February 11 to 25.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com