Picture yourself relaxing under a starry night sky while watching thousands of glowing lanterns drift across the water. Pretty romantic, right? You can soon become the main character in this movie-like setting by stepping into the magic of the viral Water Lantern Festival, which is set to light up cities around Australia this autumn.
Inspired by traditional lantern festivals in China, Thailand and Vietnam, the Water Lantern Festival is a mesmerising celebration of love, hope and community. Since its debut in 2018, it has enchanted more than 1 million people in the USA, and this year, will embark on its first-ever Aussie tour. Sydneysiders can gather for two magical evenings on March 8 and 9, with future dates set for Newcastle on April 26, Adelaide on May 2, the Gold Coast on May 10, Brisbane on May 24 and 25, and Melbourne on May 30, 31 and June 1.
Despite some media buzz over permits, the Georges River Council confirmed that the Sydney Water Lantern Festival has received approval to go ahead at Carss Bush Park on March 8 and 9. The festival organisers have also confirmed with Time Out that all future events across Australia have received the green light.
Every ticket holder will receive a floating lantern, an LED light and a marker to personalise their lantern with messages of love, hope and dreams. As the sun sets, everyone will gently launch their lanterns onto the water, creating a sparkling sea of light. Sustainability is a top priority for the festival, with each lantern crafted from a rice paper cover and a wooden base. To further minimise its environmental footprint, the festival reuses and recycles LED candles wherever possible, while the event team ensures every lantern is collected after the event.
You can find out more and get tickets to the Water Lantern Festival in Australia (from $38.75) on their website.