Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, changes date every year. In Australia it is not a national public holiday, but it is widely celebrated through festivals, family meals, lion dances, dragon dances, night markets, temple visits, cultural performances and community events.
Chinese New Year 2026 is Tuesday 17 February 2026 and begins the Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year usually falls between 21 January and 20 February.
No. Chinese New Year is not a national public holiday in Australia. It is an important cultural event and is widely celebrated, but it is not treated like New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Easter or Christmas.
Chinese New Year is one Lunar New Year tradition. In Australia, “Lunar New Year” can also refer to Vietnamese, Korean and other Asian community celebrations around the same period.
Chinese New Year follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so the Gregorian date changes each year. Use this table for planning family celebrations, school activities, community events, restaurant bookings and festival content.
| Year | Date in Australia | Day of week | Zodiac animal | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 February 2026 | Tuesday | Horse | Events may run before and after the date, especially on weekends. |
| 2027 | 6 February 2027 | Saturday | Goat | Saturday date is useful for public festivals and family gatherings. |
| 2028 | 26 January 2028 | Wednesday | Monkey | Falls on the same date as Australia Day, which may affect event planning. |
| 2029 | 13 February 2029 | Tuesday | Rooster | Weekend events may be scheduled before or after the official date. |
| 2030 | 3 February 2030 | Sunday | Dog | Sunday date is strong for community festivals and family celebrations. |
| 2031 | 23 January 2031 | Thursday | Pig | Early Lunar New Year; plan school and community activities well ahead. |
Simple answer: Chinese New Year changes every year. The next key dates are 17 February 2026, 6 February 2027, 26 January 2028, 13 February 2029, 3 February 2030 and 23 January 2031.
Chinese New Year is not a national public holiday in Australia. That means most workers and students do not automatically receive a day off for Chinese New Year unless their workplace, school, community organisation or local event schedule makes separate arrangements.
Chinese New Year is an event and cultural observance page, not a public holiday page. It should sit as a top-level event page on this site.
Celebrations take place across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and many regional communities.
Most public events are scheduled around weekends, so the biggest celebrations may not fall on the exact New Year date.
Chinese New Year celebrations in Australia vary by city, community and family tradition. In larger cities, celebrations often include public festivals, cultural performances, food markets, lion and dragon dances, lantern displays and community ceremonies.
Many families gather for reunion meals, shared dishes and visits with relatives. Food is a central part of the celebration.
Red envelopes, often called hongbao or lai see, are traditionally given to children and younger family members as a symbol of good luck.
Lion and dragon dances are common at festivals, shopping centres, restaurants, community events and cultural celebrations.
Red and gold decorations, lanterns, banners and symbolic displays are used to welcome luck, prosperity and renewal.
City festivals and local events often include food stalls, night markets, dumplings, noodles, sweets and regional Chinese dishes.
Australian celebrations often blend Chinese traditions with broader multicultural Lunar New Year events.
Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year events are common in major Australian cities, especially in areas with strong Chinese and broader Asian communities. Event dates, locations and programs change each year, so always check the current city or council event calendar.
| City or region | Common celebration areas | Typical events | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Haymarket, Chinatown, Darling Harbour, city precincts and suburban centres | Lunar New Year festivals, food events, lanterns, performances and community celebrations | Events often run across multiple days or weekends. |
| Melbourne | Chinatown, Box Hill, Springvale, Crown precinct and local councils | Street festivals, lion dances, food markets, music, cultural performances and temple events | Melbourne has several Lunar New Year celebration hubs. |
| Brisbane | Fortitude Valley Chinatown, Sunnybank, South Bank and local community centres | Food events, performances, lion dances and multicultural celebrations | Check Brisbane City Council and local precinct calendars. |
| Perth | Northbridge, Perth CBD and community precincts | Lanterns, performances, food stalls and cultural activities | Weekend events may be separate from the official date. |
| Adelaide | Chinatown, Gouger Street and city precincts | Street parties, food, cultural displays and performances | Restaurant bookings can be popular around the date. |
| Canberra, Hobart and Darwin | City centres, cultural organisations and community venues | Community events, performances and family activities | Check local multicultural and council event listings. |
Content opportunity: This page can later support child or supporting pages such as “Chinese New Year Sydney”, “Chinese New Year Melbourne” and “Lunar New Year events Australia” if you want to build a wider event-content cluster.
Every Chinese New Year begins a new zodiac animal year. These animal searches are strong before each Lunar New Year, especially for school activities, family content, event programs, restaurant promotions and social media planning.
The Horse is commonly associated with energy, movement, independence and confidence.
The Goat is commonly associated with calmness, creativity, gentleness and harmony.
The Monkey is commonly associated with cleverness, curiosity, playfulness and adaptability.
The Rooster is commonly associated with confidence, attention to detail and organisation.
The Dog is commonly associated with loyalty, honesty, protection and fairness.
The Pig is commonly associated with generosity, warmth, enjoyment and good fortune.
Chinese New Year is useful for families, schools, councils, venues, restaurants, tourism operators and community organisations. Planning early matters because the date changes every year and major events may be scheduled on nearby weekends.
Check the exact Lunar New Year date, then plan family meals, red envelopes, visits and weekend gatherings around work and school commitments.
The date may fall during the start of the school year. Teachers can use the zodiac animal, calendar story, food, language and cultural traditions for classroom activities.
Chinese and Asian restaurants may see strong demand before and after the date. Banquets, set menus and group bookings should be promoted early.
Community events should consider weekends, local demographics, weather, transport, permits, cultural groups and family-friendly activities.
Retail, hospitality and tourism businesses can plan decorations, menus, displays and promotions around the Lunar New Year period.
If travelling in Asia around Chinese New Year, expect high travel demand, closures, family travel peaks and higher accommodation pressure.
This site mainly covers Australian public holidays, but Chinese New Year belongs in the broader events calendar because Australians actively search for its date, meaning, zodiac animal and local celebrations.
| Event or holiday | Fixed or changing date? | Public holiday in Australia? | Why people search it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year | Changes each year | No, not a national public holiday | Dates, zodiac animal, events, food, family celebrations and school activities. |
| New Year’s Day | Fixed: 1 January | Yes, public holiday across Australia | Public holiday date, long weekend rules and New Year planning. |
| Australia Day | Fixed: 26 January | Yes, public holiday across Australia | Public holiday date, long weekend rules, events and meaning. |
| Easter | Changes each year | Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays across Australia | Easter dates, school holidays, travel and annual leave planning. |
Site structure recommendation: Keep this page as a top-level event page at /chinese-new-year/. Do not make it a child of public holidays, because it is not a national public holiday. Later, you can add a broader /events/ or /observances/ hub and link to it from there.
Use these pages to plan around public holidays, long weekends and other major calendar events in Australia.
Chinese New Year changes each year. It usually falls between 21 January and 20 February.
Chinese New Year 2026 is Tuesday 17 February 2026 and begins the Year of the Horse.
Chinese New Year 2027 is Saturday 6 February 2027 and begins the Year of the Goat.
Chinese New Year 2028 is Wednesday 26 January 2028 and begins the Year of the Monkey.
No. Chinese New Year is not a national public holiday in Australia. It is a major cultural event and community celebration, but it is not an official Australia-wide public holiday.
Chinese New Year is often called Lunar New Year, but Lunar New Year is broader. It can also refer to Vietnamese, Korean and other Asian cultural celebrations that occur around the same lunar calendar period.
Chinese New Year 2026 begins the Year of the Horse.
Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year events are commonly held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and many local council areas with Chinese and broader Asian communities.
Not always. Many Australian events are scheduled on weekends before or after the official Chinese New Year date so families and communities can attend.
No. Chinese New Year should be a top-level event page at /chinese-new-year/ because it has strong direct search demand and is not a child of a specific public holiday. It can later be linked from an events or observances hub.