Chinese New Year Festival – Join in the celebrations of the Year of the Rat

9 August 2007

City of Sydney is calling for Expressions of Interest from groups and organisations which would like to take part in the 2008 Chinese New Year Festival.

The 2008 Festival will celebrate the Year of the Rat and run from 1-24 February. More than 600,000 people attended the 2007 Festival, making it the largest celebration of the Lunar New Year outside of Asia and one of Sydney's fastest growing and most popular events.

Expressions of Interest are sought from groups wanting to participate in the Chinese New Year Parade or to stage an External Event for inclusion in the Festival program.

The internationally acclaimed Chinese New Year Parade is an annual highlight of the Festival which attracts more than half a million people to Sydney's streets. The 2008 Parade will be held on 10 February.

More than 30 umbrella events are also held as part of the Festival, including art exhibitions, restaurant banquets, temple tours, film screenings and cultural performances.

Submissions close on 21 September and applicants will be notified of the outcome in October. Submissions are available at www.sydneychinesenewyear.com.au

Media contact: Maya Catsanis on 9265 9553 or 0409 045 425.