Perth gears up to celebrate longest ever Lunar New Year holiday period in history

Perth is gearing up for a vibrant Lunar New Year celebration as new data from China predicts a significant surge in Chinese visitors to Australia during the 2026 holiday period.

This year, the Chinese New Year holiday break in China will run over nine full days, February 15 to February 23, making it the longest in history.

On January 13, Beijing Business Today reported that long-haul travel packages to Australia and New Zealand were “basically sold out,” with leading Chinese online travel agency Tongcheng Travel listing summer experiences in Australia and New Zealand among the top four travel trends for the 2026 holiday period.

Other travel agencies are also reporting similar strong demand patterns.

UniTour International revealed that more than 80 per cent of its Australia and New Zealand group tours scheduled for the holiday period were already booked by mid-December 2025.

Data by international short-term rental company Airbnb shows searches by Chinese travellers for spring festival travel more than doubled, with Australia consistently among the most popular destinations.

Air connectivity between China and Australia has also expanded significantly, easing one of the major barriers to travel.

Michelle Shao, executive vice president of UnionPay International South Pacific Division, said the expansion of direct flight routes between China and Australia is supporting more flexible travel planning.

Ms Shao said the tourism data published in China highlighted a fundamental shift in the scale and sophistication of Chinese outbound travel to Australia.

“What we saw in 2025 was not a rebound, but a reset to a much higher baseline of travel demand,” she said.

“Chinese tourism data suggests that 2026 might deliver record visitor numbers and record spending, particularly across duty-free, accommodation, dining and premium tourism experiences.”

Ms Shao said Chinese travellers today were “highly informed, digitally savvy and looking for depth of experience”.

“They are staying longer, travelling beyond capital cities and seeking authentic local experiences,” she said.

“This is reflected in the way they use UnionPay cards across a broad range of merchants, from iconic attractions and fine dining to regional tourism operators.”

The Lunar New Year celebrations officially begin with the second new moon of the year, ushering the Year of the Horse with traditional lion and dragon dances, battle drums, street markets and live performances throughout the city.

City of Perth Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds said the city’s events were designed to bring communities together while celebrating rich traditions.

“We’re ringing in the Lunar New Year in the city from today with an exciting line-up of cultural events, which offer something for everyone to enjoy,” Mr Reynolds said.

Events are organised throughout the city and Northbridge, including Elizabeth Quay, James Street, Yagan Square and the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

More information on the events happening through the city are available on the Visit Perth website.

From February 17 to 22, Elizabeth Quay will come alive with night-time lion and dragon dances, battle drums, aerial pole performances and markets on Saturday February 21.

The celebrations will begin at 6.45pm.

Yaolin Kung Fu Association Sifu (Master) Ken Wu, with four decades of dance experience, will lead the Elizabeth Quay entertainment.

“I teach them (students) how to learn the dance, perform, and I organise the whole event, everything,” he said.

“The dragon is like a god to us, it brings prosperity and wealth.

“The lion is there to remove negative energy and bring positive energy.”

Mr Wu said the celebrations reflect Perth’s multicultural landscape.

“Australia is so multicultural; it’s not just Chinese or Asian people, everyone gets involved,” he said.

“The celebration is about happiness and bringing joy for everyone.”

Mr Wu also highlighted the appeal the celebrations held for visitors.

“We have Asian tourists come up to us and tell us how happy they are that Australia celebrates Chinese New Year,” he said. “It really makes their day.

“Seeing people smile, take photos and ask questions, that’s why we love doing it.”