Creative Director – Gill Minervini

Welcome to the Year of the Snake.

Snakes fill many people with fear – particularly if you grew up in country Australia. Yet snakes are revered in many countries and are central to countless legends and myths about renewal and rebirth, featuring in stories from the Americas, India, Australian indigenous culture and all over Asia, including the legend of Lady White Snake which is at the heart of this Chinese New Year. These tales of new beginnings are wonderful metaphors for the New Year and we have drawn on them for our celebrations.

Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival brings people from all backgrounds together to share the beginning of a new year, to celebrate our commonalities as much as our differences, to start afresh and leave the regrets and bad luck behind from the previous year. Our festival unites cultural experiences from all communities who celebrate the Lunar New Year – including China, Korea and Vietnam – building better understanding and celebrating the diversity of our city through unique cultural experiences.

This year we have new events in the mix for you to enjoy – the infamous Dragon Ball and Lunar Feasts for food lovers as well as many new event partners and associated events. The Twilight Parade will also be full of surprises, bringing to life many of the world’s snake stories.

Thank you to the City of Sydney staff, Chinese New Year Festival Advisory Group members, festival artists, partners and communities who work incredibly hard to bring this massive event to life.

Time to shed that old skin and start anew! Happy Lunar New Year and enjoy the festival.

Gill Minervini

Creative Director

Read messages from Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Councillor Robert Kok and our Festival Ambassadors.