Learn to lion dance at Sydney Lunar Festival

From Korean drummers, a towering rat lantern at Circular Quay and lion dancing lessons at Green Square, there's more to enjoy this Sydney Lunar Festival.

The Lunar Spectacular Show at First Fleet Park in Circular Quay on Saturday 8 February, 10.30am to 1.30pm will feature performers coming together to share their culture through dance, music, theatre and storytelling.

At Green Square Saturday 8 February from 10am to 12.30pm the family fun includes lion dance lessons for kids and a concert of classical music from the Sydney Xi Yang Yang Chinese Orchestra.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the 2020 Sydney Lunar Festival is bigger and better than ever before.

"The Sydney Lunar Festival has grown from a community event in Haymarket to a joyous celebration throughout Sydney that brings together diverse cultures," the Lord Mayor said.

"Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian communities have joined together to celebrate the Year of the Rat in spectacular fashion right across Sydney."

Lunar Spectacular Show First Fleet Park, The Rocks, Saturday 8 February, 10.30am - 1.30pm International guests including Korean traditional percussion performance Nanjang & Pan will join high energy hip hop crew Australia's Got Talent grand finalists, Kookies N Kream in a show that has something for everyone.

Lunar Lanterns Circular Quay foreshore until Sunday 9 February Take in the 12 larger-than-life animal signs of the lunar zodiac and delight in modern technology blended with classic techniques as these magical lanterns light up Sydney's harbour. There are new lanterns to discover this year - Claudia Chan Shaw's glowing tower of nine golden rats, Min Woo Bang's pair of robotic horses, Nancy Liang and Fiona Lu's paper-folded rabbit and a chandelier-inspired rooster designed by festival curator, Valerie Khoo.

Green Square Lunar New Year Celebrations Green Square Library, Zetland, Saturday 8 February, 10am-1pm The Lunar Festival fun continues at Green Square where kids can join in lion dance workshops and enjoy beautiful music from the Asian-Australian musicians of the Sydney Xi Yang Yang Chinese Orchestra. Lord Mayor Clover Moore will hand out lucky red packets to the sounds of a thrilling lion dance performance.

Lion Dancing Circular Quay foreshore, 3 - 6 and 9 February, 7pm and 7.30pm Haymarket, 7 - 9 February, 6pm and 6.30pm With plenty of drumming, flamboyance and acrobatic skill, the City's lion dancing troupes will ring in the Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown and around the harbour foreshore.

The Goodwill Wall by The Fred Hollows Foundation Circular Quay, near First Fleet Park, until 9 February As the charity partner of Sydney Lunar Festival, The Fred Hollows Foundation invites you to share goodwill at The Goodwill Wall. The interactive screen of red envelopes flutters when you make a $25 donation that will help restore sight in a disadvantaged community.

Thai Town Campbell Street, Haymarket, 8 - 9 February, 11.30am -9pm Enjoy dining and shopping with plenty of discounts and special offers at Thai restaurants, grocery stores and Thai shops. Enjoy shopping for Thai art and authentic Thai-designed products at the market in the Metro Hotel, Thai Town.

For media inquiries, interviews and images, contact: Belinda Wallis - phone 0467 810 160 or email [email protected] Jane Davis - phone 0411 562 131 or email [email protected]

For Sydney Lunar Festival event details, visit www.sydneylunarfestival.com

Photo Credit:

The City of Sydney provides access to images for editorial purposes only and remains the copyright owner. No archiving, commercial use or third party distribution is permitted without prior written consent. When using content for editorial purposes, you must include the following image credit adjacent to the content: "Photographer's Name / City of Sydney"