HKTB “Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade” Kicks Off Year of the Horse Celebrations Inviting Visitors to Experience “Everywhere A Wish” Across a Citywide Festive Line-up

(HKTB provides satellite live feed of “Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade”.
Further information is available at the end of this article.)

HONG KONG, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chinese New Year is traditionally Hong Kong’s grand festival, featuring a series of vibrant and diverse activities, including Chinese New Year flower markets, prayers at Wong Tai Sin Temple and Che Kung Temple, the night parade, Victoria Harbour fireworks and the Year of the Horse Raceday. This year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has adopted “Everywhere A Wish” as the theme, inviting visitors from around the world to come to the city to experience the joy and start a blessed new year.
        
Leading the series of highlight festive programmes is the “Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade”, organised by HKTB, which will kick off the Year of the Horse celebrations. This year’s parade is themed “Best Fortune. World Party”. On the evening of the first day of Chinese New Year (17 February), a total of 60 floats and performing groups will present a spectacular global party in Tsim Sha Tsui, interacting with large crowds of locals and visitors along the route to spread lively blessings.

HKTB holds the “2026 Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade” Press Conference on 27 January. Dr Peter Lam, HKTB Chairman (ninth from left, second row) and Ms Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer & Commercial Officer of Cathay (eighth from right, second row) attend with representatives of sponsors and supporting organisations.

Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of HKTB, said: “I am grateful for the support of various sponsors from different sectors, especially that of Cathay, our title-sponsor for 24 consecutive years. Their support has contributed to new, exciting elements in this year’s International Chinese New Year Night Parade, allowing the event to continue its legacy as a highlight of Hong Kong’s Chinese New Year experience. We will seize the opportunity of the Chinese New Year holidays to promote Hong Kong’s diverse and vibrant festive experiences all around the city under the theme ‘Everywhere a Wish’. We also will step up promotions in various visitor source markets with our trade partners to attract more visitors to enjoy the rich festivities in Hong Kong during this festive season.”

Ms Lavinia Lau, Cathay Chief Customer & Commercial Officer, said: “As Hong Kong’s home carrier for 80 years, Cathay has grown with the city through countless shared journeys, with a deep commitment to developing Hong Kong as an international aviation hub and promoting it as an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange. We are proud to support a wide range of international mega events that bring vibrancy to the local economy, and we are especially delighted to be the title sponsor of the Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade for the 24^th consecutive year. Through this world-renowned festive spectacle, we hope that people can gather with their loved ones in joy and good fortune as we welcome the Year of the Horse with blessings from Cathay.”

New Float Line-up with More Surprises

2025 Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade (Stock Photos)

This year’s parade features 12 floats from 11 participating units. These include long-term partners such as Cathay, the title-sponsor for the 24^th consecutive year, which will celebrate its 80^th anniversary by showcasing a classic aircraft soaring through a time tunnel; having participated in the parade for 27 consecutive years, The Hong Kong Jockey Club takes on an especially meaningful role in the Year of the Horse as the Exclusive Parade Route Sponsor. The float will feature three magnificent horses, symbolising the vitality, prosperity and forward looking spirit traditionally associated with the Year of the Horse; Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary with various Disney friends and dancers in a festive street party; and Ocean Park Hong Kong’s Panda Friends, which will don new festive attire to wish locals and visitors a Happy New Year alongside Whiskers & Friends.

Making their debut in the parade are McDonald’s Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Brand Toy Association and Lam Tsuen Wishing Square. To celebrate its 50^th anniversary, McDonald’s Hong Kong will showcase a classic train float inspired by the brand’s iconic 1980s restaurant design installation. The Hong Kong Brand Toy Association float will bring together local trendy IPs, such as popular characters LABUBU and Molly, presenting Hong Kong’s creative culture; and the Lam Tsuen Wishing Square float will transform into a mobile “Glowing Wishing Tree”, recreating Hong Kong’s unique village praying culture and festive customs.

In addition, The Asia Tourism Exchange Center and the Macao Government Tourism Office will respectively present a “Lucky Horse” to extend sincere wishes for national prosperity and a themed float “Experience Macao” to showcase the fellow SAR’s charm. And the Quality Tourism Services Association will feature various Quality Tourism Services accredited merchants, demonstrating the vibrant growth of Hong Kong’s retail and catering industries.

To mark the Year of the Horse, the HKTB float is themed “World City．World Party” and will surprise the crowd with a pair of matching floats. The main float will feature various pony mascots dressed in different thematic mega events outfits, while the matching float will bring a replica of the Main Stadium of Kai Tak Sports Park to Tsim Sha Tsui, showcasing Hong Kong’s edge as the “Mega Events Capital”.

East-meets-West Cultural Extravaganza: Local and International Performing Teams Converge in Hong Kong
This year, 16 performing teams from various countries and regions will participate in the parade, including the Chinese Mainland, Italy, France, Spain, the US, Canada, Australia, Turkey, the Philippines, India and Egypt. Among the teams, 13 will perform in Hong Kong for the first time, forming a stellar line-up.

Performance highlights include the following: The Fumi Youth Yingge Dance Troupe of Puning City, which appeared at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, performing together with 6-year-old Yingge girl prodigy Zhuang Enqi from the Chinese Mainland to showcase the national intangible cultural heritage “Chinese War Dance”; France’s FierS à Cheval, presenting a giant luminous horse performance in a crossover with the local Jean M. Wong School of Ballet; and Italy’s Cromosauro, featuring a giant dinosaur over 5 metres tall and 7 metres long, along with China’s luminous dragon in a collaboration with the local Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association of Hong Kong, China, to stage a “Double Dragon Dance”. The Bluecoats from the US will perform a jointly with local marching band The Pegasus Vanguard; the Egyptian Tannoura Dance Group will interpret traditional Sufi folk whirling skirts; and Canadian comedic acrobatic duo Les Vitaminés will bring surprises to the audience with humour and highly difficult skills.

The 15 local performing teams are equally exciting, featuring multiple champion-quality groups. These include dance group Rookids, featuring an 11-year-old member who won the U18 World Street Dance 2025 Championship with his superb dance skills; the GnB Dance Group, champions of World of Dance Hong Kong 2025; and the China Hong Kong Para Dance Sport Association, who won three gold and three silver medals at the National Games for Persons with Disabilities, bringing a performance fusing martial arts with wheelchair dance elements to demonstrate diversity and inclusion.

Pre-parade Performances at 6pm to Warm Up the 8pm Show
The parade procession will depart from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza at 8pm, passing along Canton Road, Haiphong Road and Nathan Road, and finally arriving at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers. Before the parade, 15 local performing groups will take turns to perform from about 6pm, with lion and dragon dances, fancy rope skipping, street dance and magic, to warm up the crowd.

Spectator Stand Tickets open for Sale from 7 February
Seated spectator stands are available for the “Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets are priced at HK$600, $550 and $450 and will be available for purchase at the HKTB Kowloon Visitor Centre (Address: Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui) from 8am on 7 February 2026 (Saturday). All tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Members of the public can also enjoy the parade for free along Canton Road, Haiphong Road and Nathan Road.

Extending the Parade Excitement: Floats on Display at Kai Tak for the First Time from the Second Day of CNY
From the second day of Chinese New Year (18 February) to the 15^th day (3 March), the floats will appear at various locations across the city to continue the excitement of the parade. For the first time, eight distinctive floats will be displayed at Kai Tak Sports Park (until 26 February). On the second and third days of Chinese New Year (18 and 19 February), Chinese Mainland and international performing teams participating in the parade will perform live in the two time-limited stages at the venue, bringing the festive atmosphere to the audience. The remaining four floats will be displayed at Ocean Park, Lam Tsuen in Tai Po, Sha Tin Racecourse and Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Performing teams will also visit shopping malls and attractions across the city.

Moreover, starting on 30 January, the “Kai Tak Sports Park Chinese New Year Celebration” will present a series of exciting activities, including shopping rewards, large-scale Chinese New Year Fairs and the Float Display. Shoppers can enjoy fabulous shopping rewards and exclusive red packet redemption at Kai Tak Mall. From 10 to 16 February, the Chinese New Year Fair will extend from Kai Tak Mall to outdoor venues, with Dining Cove hosting the first outdoor Chinese New Year Fair to celebrate the new year with everyone.

HKTB has now launched a one-stop Chinese New Year webpage on its official website, with a city-wide collection of Chinese New Year activities, including information on attractions and transportation, to help visitors plan their itinerary in advance and to experience Hong Kong’s festive culture.

HKTB Chinese New Year Webpage: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/what-s-new/events/chinese-new-year.html

Post-event highlight video footage and images of Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade will be available for download from 18 February 2026, 07:00 Hong Kong Time (17 February 2026, 23:00 GMT). Download link: https://assetlibrary.hktb.com/assetbank-hktb/action/browseItems?categoryId=2316&categoryTypeId=2

Information of Satellite Live Feed of “Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade” (Full Programme)

Signal testing time	16 February 2026, 19:00–19:30 Hong Kong Time (11:00–11:30 GMT)
Live feed time	17 February 2026, 20:00–21:45 Hong Kong Time (12:00–13:45 GMT)
Technical support for satellite live feed	Tel: (852) 2358 1092/ (852) 2358 1079

Asia Sat 5, 100.5 degrees East (covering Asia markets including Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Asia & Southeast Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe & CIS, New Zealand and Australia) 

• Satellite path: Asia Sat 5, 100.5 degrees East 
• Programme name: International Chinese New Year Parade 
• On-air date & time: 17/2/2026 (1200-1345 GMT) 
• Transponder: AS5 TXP C9V 9_4V, C Band 
• Uplink Frequency: 6218.5 MHz (Horizontal) 
• Downlink Frequency: 3993.5 MHz (Vertical) 
• Symbol Rate: 7.2 MSps 
• FEC: 3/4 
• Video Format: HD 1080i 50,  
• Aspect Radio: 16:9 
• Audio Assignment: A1 : A2 Stereo 
• Modulation: DVB-S2/8PSK 
• Pilot: ON 
• Roll Off: 0.2 
• Encoding Bit Rate: 14.0 Mbps (MPEG4 H.264) 
• Encryption: NIL – Free to Air 
  
  

Eutelsat E7B, 7 degrees East (covering Europe) 

• Satellite path: Eutelsat E7B, 7 degrees East 
• Programme name: International Chinese New Year Parade 
• On-air date & time: 17/2/2026 (1200-1345 GMT) 
• Transponder: E7B TXP F06 Tango, Ku Band 
• Uplink Frequency : 14226.83 MHz (Horizontal) 
• Downlink Frequency: 12726.83 MHz (Vertical) 
• Symbol Rate: 7.2 MSps 
• FEC: 3/4 
• Video Format: HD 1080i 50 
• Aspect Radio: 16:9 
• Audio Assignment: A1 : A2 Stereo 
• Modulation: DVB-S2/8PSK 
• Pilot: ON 
• Roll Off: 0.2 
• Encoding Bit Rate: 14.0 Mbps (MPEG4 H.264) 
• Encryption: NIL – Free to Air 
  
  

Intelsat IS-19, 166.0 degrees East (covering Asia region and the Western United States) 

• Satellite path: IS19, 166.0 degrees East  
• Programme name: International Chinese New Year Parade 
• On-air date & time: 17/2/2026 (1200-1345 GMT) 
• Transponder: IS-19 (12C Slot D), C Band 
• Uplink Frequency: 6178.5 MHz (Vertical) 
• Downlink Frequency: 3953.5 MHz (Horizontal) 
• Symbol Rate: 7.2 MSps 
• FEC: 3/4 
• Video Format: HD 1080i 50  
• Aspect Radio: 16:9 
• Audio Assignment: A1 : A2 Stereo 
• Modulation: DVB-S2/8PSK 
• Pilot: ON 
• Roll Off: 0.2 
• Encoding Bit Rate: 14.0 Mbps (MPEG4 H.264) 
• Encryption: NIL – Free to Air 
  
  

Intelsat IS-34, 55.5 degrees West (covering the Americas, North America & South America) 

• Satellite path: IS34, 55.5 degrees West 
• Programme name: International Chinese New Year Parade 
• On-air date & time: 17/2/2026 (1200-1345 GMT) 
• Transponder: IS-34 (18C Slot C), C Band 
• Uplink Frequency: 6324.5 MHz (Horizontal) 
• Downlink Frequency: 4099.5 MHz (Vertical) 
• Symbol Rate: 7.2 MSps 
• FEC: 3/4 
• Video Format: HD 1080i 59.94  
• Aspect Radio: 16:9 
• Audio Assignment: A1 : A2 Stereo 
• Modulation: DVB-S2/8PSK 
• Pilot: ON 
• Roll Off: 0.2 
• Encoding Bit Rate: 14.0 Mbps (MPEG4 H.264) 
• Encryption: NIL – Free to Air
    

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mr Cameron Tong Tel: 2807 6367 Email: cameron.tong@hktb.com

Mr Chokie Cheng Tel: 2807 6342 Email: chokie.cheng@hktb.com

Media can download the related photos of press conference from the following link: https://assetlibrary.hktb.com/assetbank-hktb/action/browseItems?categoryId=2337&categoryTypeId=2

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5343f92c-8afd-45f1-9804-a42300152a35
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c2e73bed-f143-42bd-a9f2-f897bed80278
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/89b1d182-1d86-4186-b219-1c65b23bfd9b