Chinese New Year 2027 in Macau.

New Year's Eve

Friday 5 February 2027

New Year's Day

Saturday 6 February 2027, Year of the Fire Goat

Public holidays

Sat 6, Sun 7, Mon 8 February (mandatory)

Lantern Festival

Saturday 20 February 2027: end of the celebrations

Programme

Not announced yet; MGTO usually publishes it in January

What it is

Chinese New Year is the biggest festival in the Chinese calendar and one of the two busiest fortnights of Macau's year (the other is the Grand Prix weekend). The city decorates in red and gold, temples fill with worshippers, and Macau runs a formal government programme of parades and fireworks alongside the family celebrations. The catch for planners: the exact event dates are only confirmed about a month out, while hotels and transport start selling out much earlier. This guide covers what is already verifiable, and what to watch for.

What to expect in 2027

MGTO's official 2027 programme had not been announced as of 28 September 2026; it is usually published in January. Recent years give a reliable outline of what to expect. In 2026, the pattern was: a golden dragon parade through the old town on the first day (Ruins of St. Paul's to Senado Square and on to A-Ma Temple), community roadshows on the first two days, the "Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Horse" float parade on the 3rd day around Sai Van Lake and the 12th day in the northern district, three sessions of drones and fireworks displays across the holiday, and the parade floats exhibited afterwards at Macau Fisherman's Wharf and Tap Seac Square. Expect the 2027 edition ("Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Goat") to follow a similar rhythm on the corresponding lunar days. Our newsletter will flag the announcement when it lands, and the events calendar will carry the confirmed dates.

The Tap Seac Square New Year market

The week before the new year, the Municipal Affairs Bureau runs the annual Chinese New Year Market at Tap Seac Square: stalls selling gifts, festive flowers and snacks, a large floral exhibition, festive lighting and cultural performances, typically running from noon to midnight through the days leading up to New Year's Eve and closing in the early hours of the first day. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet; they are confirmed closer to the time. But this market has been an annual fixture and is a good place to see how Macau does the build-up: orchids, peach blossoms, lucky bamboo and the crowds buying them. Near A-Ma Temple, the Barra district has also run a "Lucky Blessing Market" of game booths, workshops and performances in recent years.

Temples and traditions

A-Ma Temple is the spiritual centre of Macau's Lunar New Year. Worshippers queue to offer the "first incense" from the evening of New Year's Eve (in 2026 the temple opened at 9:30pm for it), with barriers, queuing zones and police crowd control keeping the lines orderly into the small hours. The temple stays packed for several days. If you want to witness the ritual rather than join it, go early in the morning. Note that Macau designates specific areas for lighting firecrackers during the festival (in 2026 a firecracker zone was set up in Taipa), so don't bring your own anywhere near the old town; check the Municipal Affairs Bureau's announcements for the 2027 arrangements.

Hotels, crowds and getting around

Treat this like the city's peak season, because it is. During the 2026 holiday Macau recorded over 1.2 million visitor arrivals in seven days, including a new single-day record. The 2027 mainland Spring Festival holiday runs 5 to 11 February, so the crowds will be concentrated exactly on the peak dates. Book your hotel months ahead; our hotel guide compares Cotai, the Peninsula and Taipa. Border crossings, ferries and buses will be at their most crowded, so travel at off-peak hours and allow generous margins. The getting-there guide covers the bridge bus alternative when the ferry queues bite. Carry some cash as well as cards: many small shops close or run shortened hours for the first few days, and the markets run on cash more than Cotai does. Compare peak-season hotel deals on macaudeals.com.

Tips

New Year's Eve dinner is the biggest family meal of the year. Book restaurants well ahead, and expect many small local spots to be closed or quiet from day one to day three. Cotai resort restaurants and hotels run normally and decorate for the season. Day one and the parade days are the spectacle days; the week leading up to them is calmer and often the better time to be in the old town. And if your trip stretches to 20 February, the Lantern Festival marks the formal end of the season: a quieter, more traditional coda to the fortnight.