Did you miss Vivid Sydney earlier this year? Not to worry, Chinatown will have its own festival of light, music, art and entertainment in March 2025 with the return of Neon Playground 2.0.
The multifaceted lifestyle and arts festival will return for its second year after a successful debut in 2022 saw Dixon Street washed with a distinctive neon glow and public artworks.
While it isn’t quite an annual festival (yet), Neon Playground is being rejigged and reimagined off the back of a $200,000 grant afforded to the district by Lord Clover Moore AO.
The hefty investment should see the festival become a major attraction for the Haymarket and Chinatown areas, which are integral sections of Sydney’s growth strategy and have been the subject of a wider $44 million restoration project that’ll revitalise strips like Dixon Street and reinstitute emblematic features like the Chinatown Ceremonial Gates.
The City of Sydney expects 350,000 visitors to attend Neon Playground, which ran for just over a month from mid-October to late-November in 2022. Dates for Neon Playground 2.0 are yet to be confirmed, but we’re likely looking at the same length in March.
Finer details will be released as we approach the event, but we know that Neon Playground 2.0 will kick off with an opening night block party featuring Asian artists DJ Arisse, Nightjarr, Chuey and Ira Kwai, and Destructive Steps Dance.
Street art will play a big part throughout the festival with numerous Asian-Australian artists getting involved, helping to kickstart a massive redevelopment strategy that’ll retouch everything from Dixon Street’s ageing shopfronts and Chinatown’s parks, to public spaces, lighting and more.
Organisers are hoping to make Neon Playground 2.0 the signature festival for the Asian-Australian creative community, deepening the district’s identity and getting Sydney’s tourists a good reason to explore Chinatown beyond just Emporer’s Puffs, Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant, and Ho Jiak.
We’ll update this news story with more information once it is released.
Neon Playground 2.0
Where: Chinatown & Surrounds
When: March 2025
Tickets: Free
