Did you think Lunar New Year was it for Haymarket’s festive calendar? Think again.
Neon Playground 2.0, the city’s latest Asian-Australian cultural arts festival, will kick off in the heart of Chinatown on Saturday, March 15 with festivities running through to Sunday, April 6.
Given Neon Playground has become a staple for the Haymarket precinct, version 2.0 should be even bigger and better than before with three weeks of neon light installations, live entertainment, creative and cultural events, art exhibitions, comedy and food.
With Burwood’s Chinatown getting more popular by the month, this is a great way for Sydney’s original Chinatown to spread some life through the old streets of Haymarket. And it’ll all start with a bang with a Chinatown Block Party in the heart of Dixon Street anchored by five hours of live music and performances headlined by Korean-Australian hip hop group 1300, Hong Kong-Australian rapper Tommy Gunn, and Taiwanese-Australian pop-singer tiffi.
The tongue-in-cheek festival plays with Haymarket’s many venues in interesting ways. You’ve got Chinatown Idol (April 4), for example, bringing Dynasty Karaoke into the fold with a family-friendly karaoke competition where contestants will sing for the title of Chinatown’s karaoke idol. Or how about the Subtitle Cinema Club (March 20, 27 and April 3), where the former Marigold Chinese Restaurant is turned into a cinema showing classic Asian films with catering from local grocer Thai Kee IGA.
“This year’s festival celebrates the vibrant culture, creativity and resilience of Sydney’s Asian-Australian community,” explained Haymarket Alliance president Brad Chan.
“We are proud to bring together incredible artists, performers, businesses and community groups to make Neon Playground 2.0 a truly immersive experience that will light up Chinatown in ways you’ve never seen before.”
14 towering light sculptures, each standing 4-5 metres tall, will transform Haymarket and showcase original works by emerging Asian-Australian artists including Chris Yee, Kentaro Yoshida, Pei Kwang, Andrew Yee and Samuel Kim. The immense towers of light will feature 80 lightbox installations with 1-kilometre of neon shouldered by 100,000 individual LEDs. Two of these illuminated towers, with more than 85 lanterns each, will be spray painted live by Korean-Australian muralist Sophi Odling and Western Sydney muralist Christina Huynh in the lead up to the festival.
The best events at Neon Playground 2.0
In addition to the block party on March 15 and the incredible light towers, there will be a number of events spread across the three weeks to help locals and visitors engage with Haymarket’s many iconic businesses. Here are some of the highlights.
As tragedy as farce, March 15 – April 27
Chinese-Australian artist Chunxiao Qu will take over the 4A Centre of Contemporary Asian Art with a debut solo presentation, built as a neon art exhibition to align with the festival.
Fading Glow, March 13 – April 7
A group art exhibition at Black Gallery has been designed to pay tribute to the many iconic sights of Hong Kong. Including, of course, the city’s definitive neon signs.
Chris Nguyen: It’s Pronounced Nguyen, March 19
Funnyman Chris Nguyen will perform a stand-up comedy show at the Covent Garden Hotel. Presented by Chinatown Comedy Club, a beloved incubator for local Asian comedians, the show is being described as an hilarious take on modern-day Asian identity.
Chinatown Idol, April 4
As mentioned above, Chinatown Idol will be held at Dynasty Karaoke. Make no mistake about it, this family-friendly karaoke competition will be getting extra fierce as locals duke it out for the title of Chinatown’s karaoke idol.
Subtitle Cinema Club, March 20, 27 + April 3
Classic films coming out of Hong Kong and the rest of Asia will be screened across three nights at the former Marigold Chinese Restaurant. What’s more, local icon Thai Kee IGA will be doing the catering so you’ll be able to munch on snacks from one of Sydney’s best Asian grocers.
Sydney LNY Art Market, April 5
One of the best things about Neon Playground is that its so sharply dedicated to showcasing and supporting local up and coming Asian-Australian artists that we end up seeing fascinating works that would otherwise be hard to find. This simple arts and crafts market will take 20 artists and makers and give them a platform at Haymarket HQ.
Panel Discussions, March 18, 25 + April 1
Neon Playground is all about digging into the soul of Asian-Australian representation in Sydney as well as discussing Chinatown’s past, present and future. Across three nights, these panel discussions will pick apart every aspect of being Asian-Australian in Sydney and discuss contemporary Asian cultures in Australian design.
Chinatown Street Food & Stories, March 19, 26 + April 2
A walking tour hosted by Local Sauce Tours offering a blend of history, culture, street food samples from local restaurants and insights into the impact of Chinese-Australians on the community, with a guide to the best spots to eat in Chinatown.
What to eat at Neon Playground 2.0
Various Chinatown and Haymarket retailers will once again get involved in the three week festival, posting up exclusive offers and giveaways so you’ve got a nice collection of restaurants and shops to check out. These special offers during the festival include:
- Specialty neon cocktails at Banchō, Sweet Lu, Old Town Hong Kong and Covent Garden Hotel
- Kura Kura Japanese – free Asahi beer when you spend $20 or more
- Spice World Hot Pot – free lamb belly/beef brisket dish when you dine (one per table)
- Haymarket Fried Skewer – complimentary dishes with minimum spend including:
- Spend over $38 on skewers, add $1 for a fruit ice jelly or a bottle of drink
- Spend over $48 on skewers, get a free fruit ice jelly or a rice cake skewer
- Spend over $58 on skewers, get a potato tower or a special Sichuan spicy potato pasta for free
- Good Luck Hot Pot – complimentary lemon tea when you dine
- Super Emoji – buy one drink, get the second half price on select drinks
Neon Playground
Where: Haymarket NSW 2000
When: March 15 – April 6
Price: Free
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