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Enter the dragon
What : Year of the Dragon Chinese New Year Celebrations Where : Central London When : 11 February Image : Getty Images
EnTEEtainment delivered the Year of the Dragon Chinese New Year Celebrations in London on Sunday , 11 February . Organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association ( LCCA ) and supported by the Greater London Authority and Westminster City Council , the event is the biggest community celebration of the Chinese and Lunar New Year outside Asia .
The event site footprint is bordered by Charing Cross Road to the east , Shaftesbury Avenue to the north , Wardour and Whitcomb Streets to the west and Pall Mall East to the south . The celebrations , which have taken place since 1985 , have become a landmark Central London cultural event , so much so that it now attracts more than 300,000 people and has an event footprint that includes Trafalgar Square , Leicester Square and the core area of Chinatown .
Project manager Mick Heath says , “ The logistics of operating the main show day on the Sunday is phenomenal . As with any free public event , we have substantial crowds involving many hundreds of thousands of people across Chinatown , Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square and to keep them safe we instigate some 25 temporary road closures starting from 5am . Then when the celebrations end at 6pm we have two hours to get the roads clear of infrastructure so that we can reopen to traffic by the target time of 8pm .”
The New Year Parade travelled up Charing Cross Road , around Cambridge Circus , and into Shaftesbury Avenue where an array of colourful floats were displayed , along with a giant inflatable dragon positioned at the end of Dean Street .
Chinatown saw the traditional lion dance teams travel around the area , while Leicester Square hosted cultural displays and Trafalgar Square was the location for the main stage and a varied programme of entertainment throughout the day .
Suppliers
• Production & site management – EnTEEtainment
• Site infrastructure & crew – Renegade Group
• Sound , lighting & power – Ethix Management
• Trailer stage – IPS
• Special effects – BPM
• Projection – QED
• Screens – ADI
• Local stage crew - Trojan
• Security / traffic Management – TES / RTS
• Tentage – Key Structures , Casablanca , LCCA
• Toilets – Just Loos
• Road closure barriers – Mojo
• Cabins – Wernicks
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