Thousands of visitors to the city enjoyed the festival atmosphere as the 12 giant zodiac animals of the Lunar Lanterns exhibition were lit and some of Sydney’s most iconic buildings were illuminated red.
A 15-minute fireworks display lit the skies above Sydney as more lions and hundreds of traditional fire crackers went off with a bang in Chinatown, the cultural heart of the festival.
As part of the festival, Painting the Town Red including the sails of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Town Hall and other buildings across the city.
The buildings are glowing the lucky red colour for three nights from until 29 January.
Also glowing red was the Capitol Theatre, David Jones Elizabeth Street and the State Library of NSW.
The Australian National Maritime Museum roof featured a special festival animation of the 2017 Rooster.
Sydney is the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside Asia.
Two eight-metre wide, eight-metre high roosters are engaged in a dancing fight to symbolise their strength and courage.
The artists have featured vibrant colours throughout the roosters’ feathers, with gold and red in their tails symbolising good luck.
Now in its second year, the Lunar Lanterns exhibition is curated by and features the work of Claudia Chan Shaw along with some of Australia contemporary Chinese Australian artists including Tianli Zu, Guo Jian, Fan Dongwang, Laurens Tan, Qian Jian Hua and Hu Ming.
Lunar Lanterns is an interpretation of a centuries-old tradition.
It features 12 giant animal signs of the zodiac lanterns around the foreshore from the Sydney Opera House to Dawes Point, with an additional Rooster lantern in Chinatown.
The Lunar Lanterns will be on display throughout the 17 days of this year’s festival.
The Year of the Rooster is being celebrated in Sydney with over 80 events, including Lunar Lanterns, Massaoke (mass karaoke), community performances, traditional lion dances and crackers and the Dragon Boats Races.
Sydney
Program highlights include:
Lunar Lanterns – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February
Twelve contemporary lanterns ranging in sizes up to 10 metres high create the ultimate zodiac animal lantern experience around Circular Quay from the Sydney Opera House to Dawes Point.
Roosters love to be the centre of attention and cock of the walk and Rooster lanterns are lighting up at The Sydney Opera House and Dixon Street Mall in Chinatown.
Painting the Town Red – Saturday and Sunday on 28 and 29 January
Sydney’s most famous landmarks are lit auspicious red for three nights to welcome the Year of the Rooster: Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay Station, Sydney Town Hall, The Capitol Theatre, David Jones Elizabeth Street and the State Library of NSW.
The Australian National Maritime Museum roof also features a special festival animation of the 2017 Rooster.
Lunar Lantern Hub – until Sunday 12 February
Martin Place transforms into the Lunar Lanterns Hub from 5pm until late for the 17 nights of the festival.
It features a 50-metre canopy of red lanterns, food, drink, nightly DJ, and entertainment along with The Star Fortune Mahjong Garden.
On Friday 3 February, the hub will host a party to mark the 21st birthday of the festival in Sydney with lion dances, performances, live music and an enormous singalong at ‘massaoke’.
Community Performances – Saturday evenings on 28 January and 3, 4, 10 and 11 February
Audiences will enjoy 37 hours of live pop-up style street performances by around 40 groups from Sydney’s Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese communities.
More than 1,000 performers will bring the city’s streets to life with hip hop, folk dance, martial arts and traditional dance performances.
The popular community performance program is happening at Customs House Square forecourt and Martin Place on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the festival.
Chinatown Celebrations – until Sunday 12 February
Chinatown is the historical home and the cultural heart of the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival.
For 17 days, Chinatown will come alive with the sights and sounds of Lion Dance performances and traditional New Year firecrackers to drive away evil every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A highlight is the ancient, unique art of ‘face changing’ and the Chuanbei Big Puppet Show performed by the Sichuan Art Group from China on Saturday 4 February at 6pm.
China in Sydney – international delegation performances and workshops – until Sunday 12 February
Each year the City of Sydney welcomes visiting artists from China.
This year the visiting artists are from China’s south-west province of Sichuan and the north-western province of Shaanxi.
Highlights include the Sichuan Art Group performing the ancient, unique art of ‘Face Changing’ and the Chuanbei Big Puppet Show.
The Shannxi troupe of performers will perform a loud and colourful expression of rural and ancient Shaanxi culture.
Sichuan artists will also conduct hands-on workshops on Sunday 5 Feb from 4pm to 7pm teaching kids the ancient art techniques of sugar painting, lantern making, dough modelling, shadow puppets and New Year painting.
Dragon Boat Races – Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February
5,000 paddlers will churn up the water as thousands of spectators line the banks of Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour to watch the boats battle it out in the southern hemisphere’s largest dragon boat racing festival.
Associated Events – until Sunday 12 February
More than 80 associated events across Sydney will offer diverse ways to celebrate of the Lunar New Year.
Events include singing karaoke at the top of the Harbour Bridge, tea ceremonies, exploring the moon at Sydney Observatory, lantern workshops and photography exhibitions.
Composer Tan Dun will conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House.
Lunar Eats – until Sunday 12 February
From traditional Asian banquet or something with a contemporary Asian twist there are plenty of options to savour the taste of Asia. Check top tips and the Lunar Eats at
Cure Brain Cancer Foundation – Official Charity Partner
City of Sydney is partnering with Cure Brain Cancer Foundation as the 2017 Sydney Chinese New Year Festival charity partner.
Sydneysiders are encouraged to help transform the fortunes for people with brain cancer by celebrating the New Year with a fundraising ‘cock-tail’ at select venues throughout the city, and by visiting the Royal Roosters in Pitt Street Mall.
