Lunar New Year at Oxford Town Hall

This afternoon, Mark and I had the real pleasure of joining around a thousand people at Oxford Town Hall for the 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration, organised by Oxfordshire Chinese Community & Advice Centre.

Lunar New Year is the most important festival in the Chinese calendar. It is about family, tradition, food, colour, music and memory. In Oxford, it has become something rather special – a moment when generations gather together, from toddlers in bright silk jackets to grandparents watching proudly from the front row.

And for us, there was an added delight. We were joined by my cousin Hannah, over from Hong Kong and currently studying at Oxford University. To experience such a vibrant celebration of Chinese heritage in the heart of the city where she is now living and studying felt rather special. A small but meaningful reminder of how global Oxford truly is.

OCCAC has been holding this annual celebration since 1992, with only the pandemic years interrupting the rhythm. That continuity matters. Traditions do not sustain themselves; they are carried by people, by volunteers, by community leaders who quietly make things happen year after year.

The hall was alive with performance – dance, music, colour and the unmistakable energy of celebration. What struck me most, though, was the blend of cultures in the room. Around a third of those attending were not Chinese. That is no small thing. It speaks to Oxford at its best: curious, welcoming, outward-looking.

Events like this do more than entertain. They reinforce cultural heritage and identity. They offer connection and belonging. They support mental wellbeing through community. And they invite the wider city to step in, learn, celebrate and stand alongside.

Community cohesion is not built through speeches; it is built in rooms like that. In shared applause. In children laughing together. In neighbours sitting side by side.

As High Sheriff, I left feeling quietly encouraged. Oxford’s diversity is not a slogan. It is something lived – in food, music, language and friendship.

A huge thank you to OCCAC and the many volunteers who made this year’s celebration possible. Gong hei fat choy – may the Year of the Horse bring energy, resilience and hope to our whole county.