Chinatown New Year Festival 2019

Overview

If you're keen to celebrate this Chinese New Year in a big way, Melbourne's Chinatown has you covered. The city's bustling strip of restaurants and bars is ushering in the year of the pig with workshops, museum open houses, lion dances, roving performers and lantern lighting ceremonies — and that's just to name a few of the things happening from February 2–10.

Festival highlights include an outdoor cinema, which will take over Chinatown Square with pig-themed movies and beanbags on Monday, February 4 from 6–9pm. For those prepping at home, the February 4 bazaar is the time for purchasing supplies, decorations and new year treats, and its followed by mahjong games under the stars, too.

Food lovers should make their way to Russell Street on Sunday, February 10, when pop-up hawker stalls will line the length of the street from 10am–9pm. They'll offer traditional new year eats like mooncakes and nian gao (rice cakes), along with other hawker-style favourites from China, Singapore and Malaysia. The main dragon parade will also take place on the Sunday, and it offers a chance to see this colourful, traditional dance in full swing.

All of the Chinatown activities are free, too. To check out the full list of festival events, head here.