For the first time, Lunar Lanes will weave through the streets of Chinatown to Darling Harbour on Lunar New Year’s Day, linking historic Haymarket with the new harbourside precinct.
2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat. The Year of the Rat is the first sign of the lunar zodiac and heralds the start of the 12-year lunar calendar cycle.
From our laneway party and opening night concert and community performances, the dragon boat races in Darling Harbour and of course, wonderful food offerings, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
There are more than 95 events planned for these auspicious Sydney Lunar Festival celebrations.
Highlights include:
Lunar Lanes
Chinatown
Saturday 25 January, 5pm–10pm
Celebrations kick off on Lunar New Year’s Day when the laneways of Chinatown, Darling Square and Darling Harbour come to life with traditional celebrations, carnival games, art installations, lion dancing and market stalls.
Lunar Spectacular Show
Sussex Street stage
Haymarket
Saturday 25 January, 5pm–8pm
The Lunar Spectacular Show will feature over 300 community performers ready to share their cultures with traditional and contemporary dance, Korean drumming, Japanese hip hop and fashion shows.
Sydney Lunar New Year Festival Fair
Belmore Park Hay Street Haymarket Saturday 8 February, 10am–4.30pm
Free multicultural carnival for the whole family featuring food and market stalls, amusements and performances. This event is created with TVB.
LED lion and dragon dances
Haymarket
Saturday 25 January, 8.30pm–10pm
Circular Quay Friday 31 January, Saturday 1 February and Friday 8 and Saturday 9 February from 8.15pm
Meticulously decorated with hundreds of lights, catch an electrifying LED lion and dragon dance performance.
Lunar Lanterns
Circular Quay foreshore Friday 31 January–Sunday 9 February
Discover 12 larger-than-life animal signs of the lunar zodiac. Delight in modern technology blended with classic techniques as these magical lanterns light up Sydney’s harbour. New lanterns to debut include Claudia Chan Shaw’s glowing tower of 9 golden rats, Min Woo Bang’s pair of robotic horses, Nancy Liang and Fiona Lu’s origami rabbit, and a chandelier-inspired rooster designed by festival curator, Valerie Khoo.
Lion dance program
Circular Quay foreshore
1–7 and 10 February, 7pm and 7.30pm
Haymarket
31 January-2 February and 7–9 February, 6pm and 6.30pm
With plenty of drumming, flamboyance and acrobatic skill, the City’s lion dancing troupes will ring in the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Dragon boat races
Cockle Bay
Saturday 1 February–Sunday 2 February
More than 3,000 dragon boat paddlers take to the water of Darling Harbour in colourful 12 metre-long dragon boats for this spectacular regatta – the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
View the Sydney Lunar Festival program.
Published 22 November 2019, updated 22 January 2020
