Sydney Chinese New Year Festival, Great Sydney Swim & Australia Day

January in Sydney is full of food and music festivals, the famous Ashes cricket match and by the third week of the month, the Chinese New Year, Swim and Australia Day are upon us.

This is the city that never seems to slow down, not for a moment and that’s why locals and tourists flock to Sydney every moment throughout the year. With so much buzz going on, we really suggest you book your Sydney hotel room at least a month in advance, but calendar checklist aside, let’s get talking about these amazing events.

The Chinese New Year brings in thousands of visitors from the 24^th – 31^st of the month. With music, dancing, food and a huge parade through the city, remember to wear your sunglasses because the colors are incredibly bright! From a Twilight Parade to the New Year Markets and the Dragon Ball at The Star, the Sydney glows with bright lights, sensational dragons and Lion Dances.

Moving onto a new movement, the Great Sydney Swim (25^th – 26^th) will see over 1000 participants to hit the water along the east coast which finishes at Sydney Harbour, just in time for Australia Day.

If you’re not feeling in Olympian swimmer mode, you can try the more casual Ky Hurst Kellogg’s 750m swim (or 300m event for Junior kids). All entrants will have the extra encouragement alongside some of the country’s best swimmers and sports stars so you know you’ll be in good company.

As the swim ends, Australia Day kicks off on the 26^th but usually lasts until the 27^th since the partying doesn’t quit in Sydney. As the biggest annual celebration of the country, each city has multiple fairs, events and activities. Since 1788, Australia has nudged up the celebrations annually to raise the bar of fun and celebration.  You can also watch the national celebration live on television, just in case you over-exerted the BBQ and need a breather.