Lunar Chinese New Year is a flagship city centre event that delivers concentrated economic activity at a key point in the trading calendar.
Taking place over a defined winter weekend, the celebration attracts high levels of visitor engagement, supporting footfall, dwell time and retail and hospitality trading.
In the most recent delivery, Sheffield city centre experienced a 13.9% increase in weekend footfall, with Saturday footfall 15% above the February daily average. Visitor engagement was also strong, with dwell time increasing by 11.3% across the weekend, rising to 14.7% on Saturday. Retail and leisure‑related spending showed positive signals, including a 9.9% uplift in Sunday retail spend, alongside growth in grocery, entertainment and transport activity
Delivered in partnership on behalf of levy‑paying businesses, the event demonstrates the economic value of culturally significant, time‑limited city centre activity.
Watch out for the next festival in February 2027 to celebrate the Year of the Fire Goat!
