The Sydney Opera House provides a front row seat to usher in the Year of the Rooster as part of the City of Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival from January 27, when two spectacular 8 x 8 metre rooster lanterns arrive at Bennelong Point as the star attraction of the Lunar Lantern exhibition.
Giant rooster lanterns, the sails bathed in auspicious red, a glowing wishing tree, Mandarin tours, dumplings, coconut ice cream and ancient music reimagined by renowned composer Tan Dun.
The Sydney Opera House provides a front row seat to usher in the Year of the Rooster as part of the City of Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival from January 27, when two spectacular 8 x 8 metre rooster lanterns arrive at Bennelong Point as the star attraction of the Lunar Lantern exhibition.
The Opera House sails will glow red from January 27-29 to celebrate the Lunar New Year as part of Sydney-wide celebrations expected to draw crowds of more than one million over the 17-day festival, with a record 28,000 visitors to take an Asian language tour of the Opera House.
Visitors to Australia’s number one tourist destination can enjoy a new one-hour Mandarin tour, special dining and drink offers at Opera Kitchen, Opera Bar, Portside Sydney and Bennelong, hang their wish for a prosperous new year on a wishing tree under the steps and take in ‘Music under the Moon’, a special performance from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Chinese contemporary classical composer and conductor Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).
Jade McKellar, Sydney Opera House director of visitor experience, said: “Each year, Sydney hosts one of the biggest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of Asia. Given the Opera House’s increasing popularity with Chinese tourists, it’s a fantastic opportunity to programme events and activities that bring together local and international visitors as part of this vibrant festival.”