Celebrate Lunar New Year 2024! Saturday 10 February marks the beginning of the Year of the Wood Dragon, and there are plenty of celebrations taking place around Sydney’s North Shore. From night markets to calligraphy, we bring you all the exciting events you can enjoy this Lunar New Year.
Chinese astrology welcomes 2024 as the ‘Year of the Dragon,’ a mythical creature symbolising strength, power, wisdom, nobility, good fortune and success. With that in mind, check out all the events to be enjoyed around Sydney’s North Shore to celebrate the Chinese New Year!
- Lunar New Year Food Markets, St Ives
- Stories and craft, Gordon
- Year of the Dragon Festival, Chatswood
- New Year In The Plaza, Lane Cove
- Lunar New Year Festival, North Sydney
- Lunar at Sea, Australian Maritime Museum
- Lunar New Year @ Darling Harbour
- Dumplings at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Lunar New Year Events: North Shore
Lunar New Year Food Market, St Ives
St Ives Village Green will come alive on the evening of Friday 16 February with a delicious food market. There will be an array of food trucks and food stalls at St Ives Village Green, with visitors able to sit outside and eat or pick up a tasty takeaway to take home.
Bring your picnic rug and relax under the lanterns whilst enjoying some delicious Asian cuisine and street food. There will be amusement rides on the Village Green to help keep children aged up to 12 years entertained.
There will also be cultural entertainment from 6pm including a Lion Dance. So arrive early, a performance not to be missed.
“The food festival this year is our biggest yet, with lion dancers, amusement rides and other traditional entertainment. It’s going to be a great night out for the whole family.” – Ku-ring-gai Council Mayor Sam Ngai
- When: Friday 16 February, 5pm-9pm
- Where: St Ives Village Green
- Cost: Free
- Event details.
Lunar New Year across Ku-ring-gai
The Lunar New Year festivities begin on Saturday 10 February at Gordon Library with several events including a Chinese folk dancing performance, a workshop on traditional Chinese calligraphy and a chance to try on some traditional Chinese opera costumes.
Also at Gordon Library on Tuesday 20 February you can try your hand at Chinese flour dough doll building. This ancient art started 1000 years ago and is still popular today.
On Saturday 24 February the library is running a free lantern riddle event between 9am and 3pm. Paper lanterns will be hidden around the library, each one containing a riddle. Solve all the riddles and win a prize!
From Thursday 15 February you can learn the basics of Tai-Chi over at the St Ives community centre near the St Ives Shopping Village. This is an 8-week program where you’ll learn the basics of the ancient Chinese martial art, which is based on gentle exercise and balance movements.
- When: Saturday 10 February – Saturday 24 February
- Where: Various locations across Ku-ring-gai
- Website
Year of the Dragon Festival, Chatswood
The prestigious Chatswood Lunar New Year Festival is an annual festival celebrating Luna New Year. There are plenty of events happening, including calligraphy workshops, lantern craft and Lunar New Year Celebration Day on 3 February.
The 2024 program includes:
- Dragon of Fortune: Chinese Calligraphy Workshop (Saturday 27 January): Unlock the art of Chinese calligraphy in our immersive workshop, where Franz Cheung, an expert Chinese calligrapher and painting artist, will teach you the graceful strokes needed to write the powerful character 龍 (dragon) in traditional Chinese script.
- Soaring Dragon (1-25 February): Prepare to be captivated by the shimmering splendour of Soaring Dragon – a spectacular metallic art installation that breathes life out of The Concourse reflection pool with it’s majestic presence.
- Lunar New Year Celebration Day (Saturday 3 February): With up to 100 stalls spread throughout Chatswood on Victoria Avenue from Chatswood Interchange to Archer Street, you’ll smell the aroma of steamed dumplings, fried rice, and succulent pork rolls as well as many other flavours from the globe as we all celebrate the Year of the Dragon.
- Lantern Parade 2024 (Saturday 3 February): There will be vibrant dancers and harmonious melodies of traditional Chinese music by marching bands and performers.
- When: 27 January – 25 February 2024
- Where: Chatswood Concourse
- Cost: Free
- Website
Lunar New Year In The Plaza, Lane Cove
Bring in the Year of the Dragon at this special event featuring a range of activities and live performances at Lane Cove Plaza on Friday 9 February.
- When: Friday 9 February, 3.30pm-6pm
- Where: Lane Cove Plaza, 24-28 Burns Bay Road Lane Cove
- Cost: Free
- Website
Lunar New Year Festival, North Sydney
Join us for a night of fun festivities as you learn more about how to celebrate Lunar New Year with exciting activities to celebrate the Year of the Dragon:
- make a hóngbāo (red envelope)
- eat some yummy Asian treats
- and enjoy a bilingual Mandarin Storytime!
There’s something for everyone so grab your friends and family and come on down.
Suitable for young people and families with children of all ages.
- When: Thursday 8 February, 5.30pm-7pm
- Where: Stanton Library, 234 Miller Street, North Sydney
- Cost: Free
- Website
Lunar New Year Events in Sydney
Lunar Sea at the Australian National Maritime Museum
Enjoy a Lunar New Year program of performances, art, workshops, and kids’ activities every weekend from 10 February to 25 February.
Free entry to all activities, including:
- Lunar creative maker space and workshops
- Lunar Sea Kids activity trail
- Tours of the museum led by a Mandarin-speaking guide
- Traditional musical, opera and dance performances
- Chinese calligraphy, painting and incense art sessions
Program presented in partnership with the China Cultural Centre.
- When: Weekends from 10 February – 25 February 2024
- Where: Australian National Maritime Museum
- Cost: Free
- Website
Lunar New Year at Darling Harbour
Dragon Boat Racing at Cockle Bay
Lunar New Year at Darling Harbour is kicking off Saturday 10 February. To ring in the year of the Dragon, here are some amazing things to do, see and eat in Darling Harbour:
- Free dragon boat races – From Friday 16 February to Sunday 18 February, witness more than 3,000 paddlers battling it out on 12m long dragon boats, accompanied by onboard drummers keeping the pace!
- Jet Pack Water Show – Catch entertainers in Lunar New Year themed costumes flying sky high over the water propelled by jet packs on Saturday 10 and 24 February, at 6pm and 7:30pm, and at 9pm, they’ll be paired with Darling Harbour’s amazing fireworks displays.
- Traditional Chinese lion dancing performances – Darling Harbour will come alive with vibrant lion dancing on Saturday 10 and 17 February around 6pm starting at the Convention Centre Forecourt, and continuing down Darling Square and Darling Quarter. A second performance will start at 8:30pm in Cockle Bay Wharf.
- Lunar New Year Fireworks – Don’t miss the festive LNY fireworks on Saturdays 10, 17 and 24 February, and Sundays 11, 18 and 25 February, at 9pm.
Get Cultured at the Chinese Garden of Friendship
- Twilight Garden Party – For one night only, on Saturday 10 February at 5.30pm – 8.30pm, unwind with contemporary jazz tunes by Scarlett Fusion, and watch a master calligrapher at work with the backdrop of the lush and tranquil garden!
- Year of the Dragon Private Readings – On Saturdays 10, 17, 24 February, 2.30pm – 4.30pm), get curious with one-on-one Chinese zodiac reading led by classically trained Feng Shui master Mina Zheng ($28 for Friend of the Garden members and $38 for non-members)
- The Tea Exchange – From Saturday 10 February to Sunday 28 April, at 10am – 5pm), enjoy a free, immersive tea art exhibition exploring the history and cultural significance of tea through contemporary artworks.
So round up the kids and experience Lunar New Year at Darling Harbour!
- When: 10 – 25 February
- Where: Darling Harbour
- Website
Dumplings at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Darling Harbour
This Lunar New Year, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo have teamed up with the dumpling masters at New Shanghai to offer all-you-can eat dumplings and bottomless drinks, PLUS after-hour access to the zoo! Choose to have your festive 30-minute dumpling sessions at either Koala Rooftop with the adorable marsupials or at the Upper Croc Deck with a view of their resident 365kg crocodile Rocky.
- When: Thursday 11 – Saturday 20 February, 5.30pm – 9pm
- Where: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, 1-5 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour
- Cost: $80
- Website
