Celebrate the Year of the Snake with food and other festivities around town
This time around, Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and it's a celebration for many cultures represented in Sydney, including the city's Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Korean communities. It's traditionally celebrated through food, art, festivities and generally getting together with friends and family.
January 29 marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake, the sixth sign in the Chinese zodiac, symbolising elegance, wisdom and transformation in traditional Chinese culture.
We've picked out some of the very best ways to harness snake energy and charm your way into the new lunar year in Sydney – we'll be adding to this list as we near the date, so check back with us when you need more activity inspo.
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 Snake.
Deep in the centre of Haymarket, Market City is coming to life with interactive experiences to usher in the Year of the Snake. Expect spectacular performances, free dance workshops, calligraphy classes and giveaways ranging from temporary tattoos to lucky gold coins. 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.
Both of Sydney’s sprawling Paddy’s Markets (the Haymarket and Flemington outposts) will be welcoming in the Year of the Snake with a series of festive performances and a whole lot of new year-focused goodies. Roaming lion performances will take place on February 7, February 8 and February 9, and you can stock up on all of the treats you need for your own celebrations.
Everyone’s favourite eighties-inspired neighbourhood pub-turned-Chinese-eatery is bringing in the Year of the Snake in a manner its namesake would be proud of.
On the food front, the sprawling Marrickville venue is serving up their monthly yum cha from 11am until 3pm on Sunday, February 2, and a sumptuous Lunar New Year feast from Wednesday, January 29 until Saturday, February 1.
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.
Haymarket's "lunar lanes street party" will be back for the transition from the Year of the Wood Dragon into the Year of the Snake, with the inner-city suburb coming to life with lanterns, performances, live DJ sets and a whole heap of food trucks to keep you fuelled. You can check out the program over here.
See some of the country’s best Asian-Australian comedians live on stage at the Newtown Hotel for four very funny nights, from Wednesday, January 29 until Saturday, February 1. Kicking off at 7pm on the Wednesday, 7.30pm on the Thursday and 8pm on Friday and Saturday, each night, the program features the likes of Wandi Cao, Henry Zhu and Christina CZ. This event often sells out, so you'll want to snap up tickets over here before they go.
To celebrate the Year of the Snake with a refined nod to Chinese culture, Sydney’s award-winning luxury hotel Capella is hosting a series of elegant high teas from Tuesday, January 28 until Sunday, February 16. Want to welcome in the new lunar year with caviar and Champagne? This is your place. Plus, if you swing by the hotel at 11am on Tuesday, January 28, you’ll witness a traditional Eye-Dotting and Lion Dance Ceremony – an ancient tradition designed to “awaken” the lion dancers. The ceremony will be attended by Tai Chi Grandmaster Gary Khor, and will take place at 11am at Farrer Place (just outside Capella Sydney).
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 Snake. If you’re keen to get involved, Chinese horoscope readings, calligraphy workshops and tea ceremonies will be popping up throughout the city. To keep you sustained through your creative endeavours, choose from street food stalls offering everything from noodles to mochi donuts. Learn more and plan your visit over here.
More than 3,000 paddlers will churn up the waters in this year’s Dragon Boats Festival, running between 8am and 5pm on Friday, February 7 until Sunday, February 9. Expect super-speedy boat races and a whole lot of music and entertainment.
Now in its 13th year, the Fairfield Hotel’s Lunar New Year celebrations have become a local institution, and the Year of the Snake is no exception. Between Friday, January 31 and Saturday, February 1, bring the family along for a tasty Thai feast at their Green Peppercorn restaurant with live entertainment and lucky red envelopes for all.
From January 24 until March 2, 4A Centre for Contemporary Art is hosting its annual Lunar New Year exhibition – this time in honour of the Year of the Snake. Antivenom explores how the characteristics of the snake (wisdom, intuition and persuasion) can lead to transformation, through a collection of performances and stunning artworks by diverse and underrepresented Asian-Australian, Australian and Indigenous artists.
From January 22 until February 16, Darling Square will transform into a snake-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 brave enough, you can get up close and personal with a real-life snake – with reptile wranglers on-site with the slithery things on Saturday, February 8 and Saturday, February 15.
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