Lunar Lanes - Haymarket street party

Not to be missed, Lunar Lanes is the launch event of Sydney Lunar Festival 2020.

The new event will transform the bustling laneways of Haymarket into an exciting street party with real community spirit on Lunar New Year's Day.

Entertainment and activities

The streets of Chinatown will buzz with live entertainment, roving performers, face painting, kids craft activities, classic carnival games and a spectacular fireworks display after dark.

Enjoy cultural performances by Sydney’s Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Taiwanese and Japanese Communities.

Lion dancers

Catch one of 13 lion dancing performances lined up for Lunar Lanes to experience whirling lion dancers weaving in and out of the crowds to thunderous drumming.

From 8.30pm, the electrifying LED lion dancers take their dynamic performance to the streets. A colourful, 10m long, luminous, LED dragon is a sight to behold as it twists and sweeps its way through the festivities.

Dining out

Visit one of the many famed restaurants of Chinatown for a celebratory feast or grab a festival friendly snack from a variety of on-site food trucks or market stalls.

Celebrating The Year of the Rat

Immortalise your experience of the Year of the Rat in Sydney, 2020, by snapping a selfie with a pair of larger-than-life, 2.8m tall, gold metallic rats. A preview of this year’s hero Rat Lantern, these are 2 of 9, fabulous, animatronic rats created by artist Claudia Chan Shaw to feature on a massive tower of industrial cogs.

Inspired by 1950s robots, they have a winding key in their back and spinning Chinese symbols on their chest. The full installation will shine in the sunlight by day and glow golden at night.

More than a million visitors will enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Asia when the city comes alive for 16 days with the 2020 Sydney Lunar Festival from 25 January to 9 February.

Check out the program. There are more than 80 events across Sydney to be experienced.