City of Ryde Lunar New Year Festival, 2026

The City of Ryde’s much loved Lunar New Year Festival was held in the heart of Eastwood on Saturday, 28 February 2026, welcoming the Year of the Horse.

The festival featured amusement rides, market stalls, food trucks, cultural performance, pony rides, fireworks and an incredible lion high pole performance.

This year, the festival expanded into Eastwood Koreatown along Railway Parade from 12.00-5.00 pm. This was made possible by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, led by Transport for NSW. Eastwood Oval then came to life from 4.00-9.00 pm for a thrilling evening program of performances, delicious food and fireworks.

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.