2025 is the year of the Snake, starting from January 29th, 2025 (Chinese Lunar New Year Day) and lasting until February 16, 2026. If you were born in 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013…, your Chinese zodiac sign is the Snake.
As a large community of Chinese-Australians living in New South Wales, Sydneysiders love celebrating Chinese New Year each year.
Although this festival is celebrated across the country, Sydney does it differently. Chinese Australians celebrate this cultural festival with the same vigour and energy as in China.
Chinese New Year 2025 Sydney Festival Dates, CNY Calendar & Animal
Each year, the Lunar New Year celebrations in Sydney seem to get bigger, and they are now said to be one of the biggest outside of Asia. At the centre of the celebrations is the CBD’s Sydney Lunar Festival. Street parties, live entertainment, delicious food, lion dances, dragon boats, and art and light installations will dazzle crowds during the 19-day festival starting Wednesday, 29 January.
Sydney Lunar Streets is a return favourite – when the lanes of Haymarket come alive with live entertainment, roving performers, market stalls, food trucks and plenty of Insta-worthy moments on 29 January.
Visit the Chinese Garden of Friendship for tea ceremonies, fortune readings, a Twilight Garden Party and more, and continue your journey to Darling Harbour for entertainment, lion dances and dragon boat races. Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration without food, so round up your loved ones for a cosy dinner or bustling banquet. There are over 150 places to eat and drink in Darling Harbour, including authentic Asian eats in Darling Square and Darling Quarter.
Burwood, Chatswood, Cabramatta, Eastwood and Hurstville all have big celebrations for the Lunar New Year. Expect feasts, markets, lion dances, kids’ activities and hundreds of lanterns all over the city.
Sydney Lunar Streets – Haymarket Street Festival
Saturday 1 February: 5pm – 10pm at Dixon St, Sydney NSW
Kick off your Lunar New Year celebrations at Sydney Lunar Streets!
Join us for an unforgettable street party to launch the Sydney Lunar Festival and welcome in the Year of the Snake.
- Wander through Haymarket and explore market stalls featuring food, gifts and more.
- Be captivated by a mix of traditional and contemporary performances across three sites.
- Dance the night away as our resident DJ sets the vibe with infectious beats.
- Head up to Dixon Street Mall to see our snake family – it’s a sight you won’t want to miss!
- End the night with a leisurely stroll up George Street to admire the dazzling 12 zodiac animal lanterns.
Come down and enjoy the buzz as the streets of Haymarket come to life.
Food trucks
Just Fry fried chicken
Sudu Around Malaysian street food
Bar Coco MrCoco ice cream van
Little Tokyo Japanese Eats
Think! Catering – desserts
Performances
Performance site 1: Sussex Street, corner of Sussex Street and Hay Street
Show time: 5:15pm to 9:30pm
Chinese Youth League
S2 Dance Studio
Nusantara Sydney Dance
MCA Art Group
Sydney Huayu Dance Group
Pei Lei Chinese Wushu Association
Wisteria Sydney Dance Group
Siam Classic Dance Studio
The Hills Chinese Association Inc.
Yunnan Art Troupe
Shiho Sparkle Hooper
Ocean Dream Cultural Art Centre of Australia
Chinese Youth League lion dancers
Performance site 2: Ultimo Road, the intersection of Ultimo Road and Thomas Street
Show time: 5:15pm to 9:30pm
Chinese Youth League
Sydney Jacaranda Performance Group
TD Bros and Sis
Happy Singing Tribe
Inner West Vietnamese Language School
Sydney Chinese Drum Art Troupe Incorporated
Yunnan Art Troupe
Su Hee Cho
Chengdu Art Group-Xiaowen Dong
Orbit Dance Crew
Chinese Youth League lion dancers and dragon dancers
Performance site 3: Harbour Street, corner of Harbour Street and Little Hay Street
Show time: 5:15pm to 9:30pm
Chinese Youth League
Ocean Dream Cultural Art Centre of Australia
Dancekool
Wisteria Sydney Dance Group
The Hills Chinese Association Inc.
Yunnan Art Troupe
Chengdu Art Group
Orbit Dance Crew
Happy Singing Tribe
Su Hee Cho
Sydney Lanhua Dancing Group
Chinese Youth League lion dancers
Lunar Spectacular
Saturday 8 February, from 2pm – 6:20pm at Centennial Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney NSW
Cultural groups will take to the Centennial Hall stage for Lunar Spectacular in a vibrant celebration of dance, music and song.
Performance groups from Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese communities share their cultures as part of the Sydney Lunar Festival in the Year of the Snake.
No bookings are required to attend either the 2pm or 5pm Lunar Spectacular shows. Seating will be by general admission, with doors opening 45 minutes before the show start time.
Show Schedules
Show 1 | 2pm to 3:15pm
Welcome to Country
Lily Monteverdi School of Music
Rites of Mist Dance Group
TD Bros and Sis
Happy Singing Tribe
Sydney Soran Dance Troupe
Australia International Elite Cultural Arts Centre
Harang Jr.
Yunnan Arts Troupe
Pink Lotus Dance Group
Buddharangsee Thai Community Language School Inc
Sydney Jacaranda Performance Group
Australia Harmonic Choir
Ocean Dream Cultural Art Centre of Australia
Eisa Champ Roo
Show 2 | 5pm to 6:20pm
Welcome to Country
Vietbamboo
Siam Classic Dance Studio
Mulan Dance Troupe
Today & Always
St George Academy of Performing Arts
Taiko No Wa
Sydney Lanhua Dancing Group
Guangxi Group
Lion Dancing and Cultural Performances
Thursday, 30 January to Sunday, 16 February at Sydney Town Hall, 483 George St, Sydney NSW
Community performers and lion dancers will take to the streets bringing colour, music and movement to our city.
Get up close and enjoy performances from one of the many talented performers involved during the Sydney Lunar Festival.
Lion dancing
Town Hall steps
- Thursday 30 January from 1pm to 1:10pm and 1:30pm to 1:40pm
- Thursday 6 February from 1pm to 1:10pm and 1:30pm to 1:40pm
- Thursday 13 February from 1pm to 1:10pm and 1:30pm to 1:40pm
Haymarket
- Sunday 26 January from 12pm (performance by Chinese Masonic Society)
- Sunday 2 February from 12pm (performance by Choy Lee Fut Federation)
Cultural street performances
Hay Street, Haymarket
- Friday 31 January from 6pm to 7pm
Thai Gateway, Campbell Street
- Friday 7 February from 6pm to 7pm
- Saturday 8 February from 6pm to 7pm
- Sunday 9 February from 6pm to 7pm
Korean Gateway, Darling Quarter
- Friday 14 February from 6pm to 7pm
- Saturday 15 February from 6pm to 7pm
- Sunday 16 February from 6pm to 7pm
Dragon Boats Festival
Friday 7 February – Sunday 9 February: 8am – 5pm at Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Park, Sydney NSW
Watch the biggest dragon boat festival in the southern hemisphere as more than 3,000 paddlers churn up the waters and battle it out.
The 2025 festival will see three exciting days packed with competition, music and entertainment.
Enjoy the fierce spectacle of dragon boating taking over Darling Harbour.
Lunar Gateways
Monday 27 January – Sunday 16 February: All Day at Hay St, Haymarket NSW
A tribute to Chinese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese architecture
Each gateway is hand-painted, making design and cultural references to Chinese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese architectural features. Don’t miss seeing these impressive structures beautifully illuminated at night.
Gateway locations:
- Chinese Gateway: Hay Street, Haymarket
- Korean Gateway: Civic Connector, Darling Quarter
- Thai Gateway: corner of George Street and Campbell Street, Haymarket
- Vietnamese Gateway: Hay Street, Haymarket
Lucky 8 Snakes light rail by Chrissy Lau
Wednesday 29 January – Sunday 16 February: All Day at George St, Sydney NSW
The Sydney Lunar Festival light rail snakes its way around the city centre. How many snakes can you count on its body?
Lucky 8 Snakes is a bright and fun light rail design that blesses passengers with good luck for the Lunar New Year.
To celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake in 2025, artist Chrissy Lau combined the lucky colours of red and yellow with the lucky number 8 in this eye-catching artwork.
The lucky snakes are filled with plum blossoms that symbolise perseverance, prosperity and good luck. The snakes’ bodies are adorned with orchids, the lucky flower for Wood Snakes. In the centre, a snake holds a chrysanthemum, which symbolises longevity.
The snakes sit among gold coins and ingots for wealth. Lunar New Year lanterns are decorated with a lucky longevity knot against a backdrop of auspicious clouds.
Chrissy Lau is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist. She aims to create art for all and promote multiculturalism by celebrating her Chinese heritage.
You’re encouraged to interact, take a selfie and share on social media. Dig a little deeper, and there’s always a symbolic message behind her art.
Chrissy takes inspiration from her experience growing up as a British-born Chinese takeaway kid and her life as an Australian-Chinese artist.
12 Lunar Lanterns by Erika Zhu
Wednesday 29 January – Sunday 16 February: All Day at Sydney Town Hall, 483 George St, Sydney NSW
Catch a glimpse of our 12 beautiful lanterns as they lead you through Haymarket and up George Street. These 12 animals, each standing at an impressive 4 metres tall, are infused with a playful charm that beckons joy and character.
Designed with a simple and blobby aesthetic, each lantern lends an endearing naivety that appeals to the inner child within us all. The soft, rounded outlines evoke a friendly and welcoming vibe, a gesture of open arms to the Asian Australian community in a moment of celebration for the Lunar New Year.
Under each lantern is a supporting plinth, intricately designed with unique floral patterns that blend contemporary design and timeless Chinese tapestries. Each pattern represents a meaning particular to the given Zodiac animal.
Altogether, the lanterns and plinths feature scarlet red, a symbol of luck in Chinese culture, and emerald green, a nod to the revered Jade mineral. This is combined with other contemporary colours to create a visual symphony resonating with the spirit of fun and positivity.
Come to Haymarket during the Sydney Lunar Festival and be enchanted by whimsical lanterns, each a radiant beacon of celebration. With joyful expressions and imaginative shapes, they warmly invite everyone to join the festivities and embrace the new year.
Where to find them:
- Rat: Outside Barlow Community Forrest, corner of George Street and Barlow Street, Haymarket
- OX: Outside Barlow Community Forrest, corner of George Street and Barlow Street, Haymarket
- Tiger: Outside Barlow Community Forrest, corner of George Street and Barlow Street, Haymarket
- Rabbit: Outside Barlow Community Forrest, corner of George Street and Barlow Street, Haymarket
- Dragon: Outside St George Bank, 82 Ultimo Road, Haymarket
- Snake: Outside St George Bank, 82 Ultimo Road, Haymarket
- Horse: Outside Commonwealth Bank, 691-693 George Street, Haymarket
- Ram: Outside Citymark, 683-689 George Street, Haymarket
- Monkey: Outside Westpac, 740 George Street, Haymarket
- Rooster: Outside Westpac, 740 George Street, Haymarket
- Dog: Outside Palace Hotel, 742 George Street, Haymarket
- Pig: Outside Central Baptist Church, 619 George Street
Great Snakes game day
Saturday 15 February – Sunday 16 February: 11am – 4pm at Hay St, Haymarket NSW
Play big on our giant snakes and ladders game board, giant Jenga and giant Connect 4. Our giant games are free for you to play. Roll the dice and join in on the fun.
Giant Snakes and Ladders is a fun board game and artwork that acknowledges the rich history of Chinatown. It was designed by Sydney artist Andrew Yee. The design explores how the past, present and future intersect in Chinatown.
In the artwork, snakes have a contemporary aesthetic of vibrant colours and bold lines, emphasising their charming, elusive and intense traits.
The glossy red squares of the checkboard pattern are reminiscent of metal and glass, materials used in a futuristic façade for Chinatown.
You’ll see the wooden texture on the yellow squares, representing the past, as lumber was a significant good traded in Chinatown in the 1920s. During this time, Chinatown moved from The Rocks to Haymarket, creating a huge commercial space for the Chinese diaspora.
Snake installation on Dixon Street
Wednesday 29 January – Sunday 16 February: 12pm – 11:55pm at Dixon St, Sydney NSW
A family of friendly snakes welcome you to Chinatown.
Take a seat on the body of the red and gold snakes as they light up Dixon Street Mall. Two parent snakes frame the sides of the mall like traditional paifong gates, while a baby snake sits atop.
The installation is a celebration of the Year of the Snake for Sydney Lunar Festival 2025.
Made from locally sourced marine plywood and reusable materials, the snakes were created by Haymarket HQ and Basalt Studio.
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