The best Lunar New Year events in Sydney

No Lunar New Year celebration is complete without a feast, and there are many auspicious and symbolic dishes that are a must on any holiday menu: noodles for longevity, whole fish for prosperity, rice cakes for advancement to new heights, and more. Check out our list of the best Sydney restaurants to celebrate the Year of the Wood Dragon.

Deep in the centre of Haymarket, Market City is coming to life with interactive experiences to usher in the Year of the Wood Dragon. Expect spectacular performances, free dance workshops, calligraphy classes and giveaways ranging from lucky red envelopes to temporary dragon tattoos. Do your shopping downstairs at Paddy's Market, then book a table at one of Level Three's excellent restaurants for a magnificent Asian feast.

Popping up for one day only (from 10am until 3pm on Saturday, February 17), the Sydney Lunar New Year Market will see the One Dixon shopping precinct transform into a bustling marketplace, with over 20 local Asian-Australian artists and small businesses ringing in the Year of the Wood Dragon with art, food and entertainment. Pick up a ceramic to signify your zodiac sign or a Wood Dragon-inspired print. A portion of funds raised will be donated to support the not-for-profit community group which supports elderly Asian-Australians, so it’s shopping you can feel good about.

The rooftop of this neighbourhood pub and Chinese eatery will host a very festive Lunar New Year celebration to ring in the Year of the Wood Dragon on Saturday, February 10. An $89 ticket will score you a Cantonese feast, free-flowing drinks and hours of entertainment from live DJs. The event runs from 5pm until late, and you can score tickets over here.

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Four Seasons Sydney’s intimate cocktail bar Grain Bar is hosting the Chief Mixologists from Hope & Sesame, an award-winning bar in Guangzhou, China. Lola Liu and Tracy Lu will be in residence from 5pm until 9pm on Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10 – serving up spectacular cocktails with the kind of finesse that has secured Hope & Sesame its place on the list of Asia’s 50 Best bars.

Everyone’s favourite eighties-inspired neighbourhood pub-turned-Chinese-eatery is celebrating Lunar New Year in a manner its namesake would be proud of – offering $10 pints of limited edition “Lucky Lager” to drinkers born in the Year of the Dragon*.

On the food front, the sprawling Marrickville venue is serving up their monthly yum cha from 11am until 3pm on Sunday, February 11, and a sumptuous Chinese feast on Saturday, February 10. To keep you entertained while you’re tucking into sizzling plates of sweet and sour pork, the brewery/ pub/ den of 1980s nostalgia will be playing host to live dance and drumming performances from the Jin Wu Koon Lion Dancers. 

*Only patrons of legal drinking age will be in the running to score this lucky deal.

To celebrate the Year of the Wood Dragon with a refined nod to Chinese culture, Sydney’s heritage-listed hotel Capella is hosting the esteemed tea and calligraphy master, Raymond Leung for an afternoon calligraphy masterclass and traditional tea ceremony. The caveat is, it’s available to in-house guests only – so you’ll need to book a night’s stay in one of the hotel’s beautifully designed rooms (we can think of worse ways to welcome in the new lunar year). The event will run from 2.30pm until 4.30pm on Sunday, February 11, and if you’re keen to join, we’d recommend booking their Lunar New Year accommodation package: inclusive of daily breakfast at Brasserie 1930, a bespoke Lunar New Year program, USD100 (around $150AUD) hotel credit per day to use during your stay.

See some of the country’s best Asian-Australian comedians live on stage at the Newtown Hotel on Friday, February 9 or Saturday, February 10. Kicking off at 8pm each night, the program features Stella Wu, David Troung and Esky Escandor, and you'll want to make time for dinner beforehand. This event has sold out for the past four years, so you'll want to snap up tickets over here before they go.

From February 10 until March 31, a new group exhibition will pop up at 4A Centre for Contemporary Art – a visual interpretation of the bridge between celestial and earthly realms. Artwork from Shaun Daniel Allen, Fan Dongwang, WeiZen Ho, Jacquie Meng, Sin Wai Kin, Thirteen Feet Tattoo Studio and Yang Yongliang will play homage to the people born under the fifth sign of the zodiac, thought to be earthly connections to the heavens.

Crispy roast pork. Vegemite short rib. Braised abalone. That’s just a sneak peek of what will be served up at this impressive 11-course dinner hosted by award-winning Asian-Australian Chef Junda Khoo of Ho Jiak and Level: Asian podcast. The unforgettable night will be hosted by comedian and influencer Neel Kolhatkar, and complete with lion dances, tunes by Shirina Holmatova, and a raffle to win incredible prizes donated by Asian Australian businesses, with all proceeds donated to Plate It Forward. Get your tickets before they sell out here.  

Sydney’s second CBD will transform into a creative hub for the Lunar New Year, playing host to art installations, live entertainment, cultural workshops and roving performances to welcome in the Year of the Wood Dragon. The creative centrepiece of Parramatta’s Lunar New Year celebrations will be a giant interactive dragon installation by Marrickville-based artist Amigo & Amigo, which will be popping up in Parramatta Square from February 8 to February 15. If you’re keen to get involved, stamp carving, cooking, storytelling, amulet card making and calligraphy workshops will be popping up throughout the city. To keep you sustained through your creative endeavours, choose from street food stalls offering everything from traditional dragon beard candy to fried chicken to mochi donuts. Learn more and plan your visit over here.

From February 9 to February 25, Darling Square will transform into a Wood Dragon-inspired wonderland – complete with live performances, food and drink pop-ups and an immersive light installation formed from hundreds of traditional New Year lanterns. If you’re keen to take one home, you can do just that on Saturday February 10 – when spending $50 or more will automatically score you a free lantern, with the option to personalise with traditional calligraphy. If you’re in it for the entertainment, plan a visit for Saturday February 10 or Saturday February 17, when spectacular lion dance performances will take over the square. On the food front, Darling Square’s favourites are offering Lunar NY-inspired specials.

Held in formerly abandoned Chinatown cinema, Chinatown Comedy Club’s Lunar New Year event will bring together an exceptional line-up of Asian-Australian comedians including Neel Kolhatkar, Alan Fang, Stella Wu, Guneet Kaur and Henry Zhu. You can also expect live musical performances, and a Lunar New Year-themed drink on arrival. Tickets cost $38, and you can snap them up over here.

This award-winning hotel in Sydney’s CBD is offering a spectacularly beautiful afternoon tea to celebrate the Lunar New Year, with a menu featuring carefully crafted choux-piped buns, a mandarin blossom made with citrus mousse and yuzu jam golden ingots with Pu-erh ganache.

This vibrant celebration of Thai culture is taking over a laneway in the heart of Thaitown on Saturday February 17 from 11am - 8pm. Expect a captivating traditional opening ceremony, a bustling marketplace, live entertainment including a drum procession and a Thai Beer Garden with live music and a creative selection of authentic Thai drinks.

This fast-casual Japanese eatery is slinging Lunar New Year specials from February 5 until March 3, with Spicy Karaage Skewers for $8 and a Spicy Karaage Don for $18. If you’re keen to start the Year of the Wood Dragon with a healthier bank balance, add Dopa to your lunch list.

One for the Lego fiends: Australia’s longest Lego dragon will be popping up in Haymarket from February 16 until February 18. If you miss it, head to the world’s largest Lego store to see other spectacular models from Lego professionals led by Ryan McNaught (also known as the Brickman).