The City of Ryde's much loved Lunar New Year Festival will return to the heart of Eastwood on Saturday, 28 February 2026, welcoming the Year of the Horse.
This year, the festival will expand into Eastwood Koreatown along Railway Parade from 12.00-5.00 pm. This has been made possible by the NSW Government's Open Streets Program, led by Transport for NSW. Eastwood Oval will then come to life from 4.00-9.00 pm for a thrilling evening program of performances, delicious food and fireworks.
City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown said the Lunar New Year Festival was one of the biggest annual events on the City of Ryde calendar.
"This is a special day and evening that our wonderfully diverse community always looks forward to and this year's expanded offering makes it even more exciting," he said.
"Bring your family and friends along to celebrate the Lunar New Year Festival, with amusement rides, market stalls, food trucks, cultural performances, fireworks, and an incredible lion high pole performance.
"And for kids aged 3-12 we have a fantastic online colouring-in competition to showcase your artistic skills."
NSW Minister for Transport John Graham said the Open Streets Program was a fantastic initiative for local communities and businesses.
"Too often our main streets are something we drive through, rather than drive to," he said. "As this event highlights, we can use our streets to bring communities together and drive revenue for local businesses."
Lunar New Year is one of the world's biggest international holidays and is celebrated across many Asian countries, including China, Singapore, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as other communities worldwide.
In the traditional Lunar New Year zodiac, each animal year is also linked to an element through a 60-year cycle (combining the 12 animals with the Five Elements). The Year of the Horse,
which begins in 2026, is the Fire Horse (often referred to as the Red Horse), a combination that occurs only once every 60 years.
In Korean tradition, 2026 is known as Byeong-o (병/丙午) with "byeong" associated with red/fire and "o" representing the horse, symbolising a year often linked (in traditional astrology) with strong energy, passion and action. For program updates, the latest Festival information and details on Festival competitions, go to: www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/LNY
