【Happy Chinese New Year 2026】Chinese New Year festivities unleash destination appeal for robust community economy and fusion of cultural tourism

Listed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations in 2026, the three mega festivities were organized by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) along with the community event ZAPE Gallop Gala for Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day in ZAPE District, in joyful celebration with residents and visitors. The festive events invigorated the community economy and tourism spending, setting off the vibrant colors of “tourism + events” and cultural tourism gems Macao has to offer as a world centre of tourism and leisure.

Float parades and exhibitions engage over 600,000 participants on site

The “Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Horse” was held with success in the vicinity of Sai Van Lake and northern district on the 3^rd day and 12^th day of Chinese New Year (19 and 28 February). The floats were on display successively at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf and Tap Seac Square for residents and visitors with photo opportunities.

Both parades engaged about 85,000 spectators cumulatively on site, whereas the two float exhibitions attracted about 640,000 participants in total. They not just created colorful festive experiences but also imbued the communities with festive aroma and destination appeal.     

Drones and fireworks displays debut upon the sky

The “2026 Chinese New Year Drones and Fireworks Displays” was launched by MGTO as a new integrated highlight, bringing together technology and art in three sessions themed as festive celebration, birthday and romance on 19, 23 February and 7 March. The shows attracted local and visiting spectators with innovative choreography and visual effects.  Preliminary figures indicate that the total of spectators surpassed 270,000 on site. The displays enriched the spectrum of nighttime tourism products and elevated Macao’s profile as a destination with fascinating events.

Golden Dragon Parade boosts an influx of visitors into communities  

The “2026 Chinese New Year Activities” staged close to 20 roadshow sessions at designated locations in Nam Van district, central and southern districts, the islands, northern district and ZAPE district on the 1^st and 2^nd days of Chinese New Year (17 and 18 February). Several performance troupes from overseas were invited to participate in the roadshow. The Golden Dragon dance team, auspicious mascots and Macao Tourism Mascot MAK MAK joined the performance troupes to deliver festive wishes and colorful performances for residents in communities. Preliminary figures show that the community roadshow engaged about 140,000 spectators, an effective boost of visitor flow into communities, local cultural exchange and community economy.

Interactive games energize visitors’ interest in Macao 

To expand the coverage of event promotion, MGTO presented two festive games named “Blessed year of the Horse” and “Horses in succession” on its WeChat mini-program – MGTO’s Interactive Zone, which engaged over 710,000 participants during the event.  On the other hand, over 350,000 participants joined the online game on MGTO’s themed event webpage.

Multichannel collection of feedback about event impact

During the events, the Office collected opinions from residents, visitors and businesses in the vicinity of event venues via different channels such as on-site QR codes for electronic questionnaire, online questionnaire on promotional website and mini-program. Businesses were also visited for feedback collection to learn more about the events’ effectiveness and their suggestions. The feedback is examined to enhance the content and format of future events for enrichment of residents and visitors’ festive experience, as well as effective stimulation of the community economy and tourism spending.

ZAPE Gallop Gala revitalizes community spending

The community event ZAPE Gallop Gala was held in the vicinity of Rua de Cantão and Rua de Pequim at ZAPE in celebration of Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. Festive installations were set up to boost festive vibes and destination appeal in the district, while bringing a greater flow of people into the community for spending. The event engaged businesses in ZAPE and various integrated resort enterprises for launch of special offers and attractive prizes including star-rated hotel accommodation, dining and movie coupons, injecting an impetus to tourism spending in the district.

Listed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations in 2026, the 2026 Chinese New Year Activities, the Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Horse and the 2026 Chinese New Year Drones and Fireworks Displays demonstrated the vibrant scene of “tourism + events” and Macao’s appeal as a world centre of tourism and leisure. MGTO will keep steering forward the concerted development of cultural tourism events and community development, deepening integration across tourism and other related sectors, in turn contributing to Macao’s adequate economic diversification and sustainable development.