As the sun begins to set on Kensington Street on Saturday 4 February 3-8pm, we will light up the street to celebrate the Year of the Rooster.

With every nook and cranny jam-packed with sublime goodness, Kensington Street will have you popping, locking and licking your lips to the sounds and scents of Sydney’s unique Chinese culture.

This year we are partnering with the China Cultural Centre, Sydney, the Sichuan Department of Culture, Australian Chinese Performing Artists Association and City of Sydney, to adorn the street in the most vibrant and exciting way possible with performances and workshops.

Follow us as we take you on a tour of a selection of the festival highlights.

Though we can’t divulge all at once!

Silent Sounds

Transcend the CBD to a symphony of sounds that speak of China, old and new, and Sydney’s rich Asian culture. Hip, hop, pop and lock to the catchy tunes of K-Pop, dance like nobody’s watching to contemporary Chinese house music with Silent Sounds, and let yourself be serenaded by folkish and operatic tunes trickling from balconies.

Australian Chinese Teo-Chew Association Lion Dance Team

Dance to the beat of the Teo-Chew drums, and follow the procession of Lion Dancers as they weave their way through the festival.

Discover the mysterious art of traditional Face Changing performance. Become mesmerised by the graceful leaps and bounds of contemporary and traditional Chinese dancers, and pause in your tracks, as Pak Hok show off their incredible Kung Fu mastery.

Paper lantern installation by Jayanto Damanik Tan at Bar Chinois, Photography by Lauren Commens

Looking for some down-time? Dotted around the festival are small oases of discovery, tranquility and mindfulness.

Pop on a Silent Sounds headset and tune out the noise, as you follow your MeiQuan Tai Chi instructor on a transcendent journey towards inner and outer well-being.

Practice the art of concentration in a fast-tracked Mahjong lesson, or put your nimble fingers to work at paper folding, lantern making and shadow puppet making.

Photography by Lauren Commens

Surrender to the divine guidance of Feng Shui Master, Fortune Teller, Ms Miao Hui, as you learn what fortune the Year of the Rooster may bring, and immerse yourself in a moody den of silent Chinese film.

Take a seat and watch the festival float by as Chinese caricaturist Stephen Pong transcribes your features into a take-home momento of the day.

Noodle pulling demonstraton, Chefs Gallery

And when your feet tire, and your belly yearns for a Chinese banquet, fret no longer, as your food pit stop will not disappoint.

With years of experience in the craft of hand-pulling noodles, the masters at Chefs Gallery will be bringing their skills to the stage. Stretched from simple ingredients, using only the motion of the hand, this is something to marvel on!

Now that we have you salivating, may we offer you the finest array of hawker-style dishes from across the Asian continent, housed snugly in bustling Spice Alley.

Look out for Chef Tiw Rakarin’s feisty delights out on the street, boasting punchy flavours from Asia’s south-east.

Don't dismay, Holy Duck! and Hong Kong Diner will have all things burgers, buns and bao covered, with Chinese diner-style mouthfuls to tempt the hungry.

Holy Duck!

Already grazed? There’s always room for a sneaky dessert, or a refreshing (and deeply inspired) cocktail.

Make your dessert and eat it too! Our sugar painting workshop will let you craft whimsical shapes out of heated sugar and, when it hardens, you may eat the products of your labour.

Kakawa Chocolates are offering up some appealing edible consumables, too. If you are not patient enough to partake in a strategic game of Mahjong, Kakawa’s edible Mahjong tiles provide a delicious alternative.

Left: The Rooster by Kensington Street Social, Right: Red Rooster by Bistrot Gavroche

Kensington Street Social are serving up The Rooster, with equally healthy doses of Gin, lychee and ginger.

Bistrot Gavroche are shaking together their Red Rooster, fusing Vodka, Vermouth and grapefruit bitters with a French twist.

Take a visit to our pop-up bar on the street, for a range of Asian beers and beverages.

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