C&G’s Guide to Lunar New Year in Melbourne

Local Community

The Lunar New Year marks a new dawn for cultures following a calendar defined by the cycles of the moon, most notably in China. In fact, 2017 is the year of the rooster, which symbolises fidelity and punctuality! C&G have compiled a guide to the celebratory events around Melbourne and how you can get involved.

Crown and Southbank

True to form, the Crown complex is going all out for the Chinese New Year. Decking The Atrium with lanterns, roosters and traditional music, festivities will be in abundance until February 19. The Hawker’s Bazaar Festival and Mini Festival will be held on the last weekend of January and the first weekend of February, featuring lion dancers, authentic food, performances and a fireworks spectacular.

Queen Victoria Market

QVM will be hosting a Chinese New Year celebration from January 27 to February 12. They’ll be packed with performances, Chinese street food, cooking demonstrations, firecrackers, dance acts and messages of prosperity from the Hongbao wall! On February 11 and 12, the festival culminates with a beautiful lantern festival, featuring authentic music and cultural celebrations for the year ahead.

Federation Square

Federation Square’s celebrations will be held on January 28. The square will be transformed into a cultural shrine to the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rooster, including performances, kid’s activities and family friendly fun.

Concerts and Shows

Throughout the remainder of January and most of February, Chinese New Year celebrations continue with shows, performances and concerts in true cultural style. The Chinese New Year concert, East Meets West, showcases some of the world’s most talented musicians, and Academy Award® winning composer and conductor, Tan Dun. On February 9, the China National Opera and Dance Theatre takes on the Melbourne Recital Centre to bring Treasures of a Nation – a musical experience that delicately fuses traditional Chinese sounds with contemporary style. Arts Centre Melbourne welcomes the National Ballet of China in February, for the captivating performance of The Red Detachment of Women, set in the 1930s and based on stories from the Red Army.

Foodie Events

Aside from the plentiful authentic street food that’ll be popping up at markets and outdoor festivals throughout the celebrations, foodies may enjoy some of the more formal epicurean delights on offer. Eureka 89 will host an Asian-fusion menu overlooking the city on February 8, and Southgate’s Red Emperor is offering a Chinese New Year banquet from January 27 to January 29, inclusive of a lion dance and blessing ceremony. 

There’s many more goings-on in and around Melbourne throughout the months of January and February, so be sure to check out the Chinese New Year Melbourne site. Chisholm & Gamon wishes everybody of all cultures a wonderful turn of the Lunar New Year, and hopes that your year of the rooster brings with it prosperity, love and joy – and hopefully fantastic real estate!