Wellington’s 2022 Lunar New Year Festival: A Vibrant Celebration Of Art, Culture, And Tradition

Asian Events Trust (AET) are proud to be hosting the inaugural Lunar New Year Festival in Wellington 1 -12 February 2022.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington will come to life through the Lunar New Year Festival with a diverse range of cultural performances, workshops, culinary experiences, and arts and crafts.

The 2022 event will be AET’s first festival under the Lunar New Year name. In October 2021 AET announced the re-branding of the Wellington Chinese New Year Festival to encompass the many Asian cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The year 2022 marks the Year of the Water Tiger. The tiger is synonymous with passion, ambition, and enthusiasm and the element of water homes in on the characteristics of generosity, self-confidence, and revitalisation.

The Lunar New Year festival programme will include well-loved and popular elements from the Chinese New Year festival programme, as well as the introduction of some new and exciting components. The programme has been curated based on the Chinese Five Elements Theory; audiences will see water, wood, fire, earth, and metal woven throughout the two-week festival programme. Present at the sites for each event will be five tiger models inspired by the elements, each developed by local artists – T.Wei, Stan Chan, Phoebe Tims, Tara Young, and Matthew Yee.

Linda Lim, Programme Director says, “Each model will showcase a diverse Asian-Aotearoa design ranging from traditional, contemporary, street-performance and visual art. We are excited to see each interpretation of characteristics for each element, and to have these featured at the five events making up our festival programme for inaugural Lunar New Year celebrations.”

Celebrations will open on 1 February at Shed 6 with the beloved East Meets West showcase. Inspired by artists born in the Year of the Wood Tiger, ‘Wood you like this Dance?’ will be a vibrant evening of traditional and contemporary performance presented by local artists and community groups.

Other activities throughout the festival include the premiere of new dance a new film created by Arts Laureate Daniel Belton inspired by the Metal Tiger (1 – 13 February), the Asian food and craft market will return along with the crowd favourite waterfront parade on 5 February (Fire and Water Tiger), and there will be a day of arts and crafts for the family at the National Library on 12 February (Earth Tiger).

“We are always looking at new ways to engage new audiences, to be relevant and responsive to changes in the events landscape. Our new look festival will captivate people of all backgrounds, cultures and ages to actively participate in a two-week celebration of the Lunar New Year of the Water Tiger,” says Lim.

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