Auckland Live presents Lunar on Lorne on Saturday, 21 February, transforming Te Hā o Hine (Khartoum) Place, Lorne Street into a free, high-energy street festival celebrating contemporary Asian culture during the Lunar New Year. The event is supported by Auckland Council Events and the city centre targeted rate.
Running from 12pm to 5pm, Lunar on Lorne brings together music, dance, performance and hands-on activities in the heart of Auckland’s dining precinct, inviting Aucklanders and visitors to celebrate Lunar New Year through movement, creativity and community.
From explosive street dance battles to karaoke open mic, Lunar on Lorne showcases the energy and talent of Asian-Aotearoa creatives in a lively, outdoor setting. The afternoon also features the premiere of an all-Asian rap cypher alongside live sets from Newko & 64D (Mr. Sicc, Tay the Tayste Maker, Yuhan and BIAX), and ¥OUNG GHO$T aka 鬼打样 with AKLA Crew.
Eric Ngan, Principal Place Activation and Project Lead at Auckland Live, says Lunar on Lorne is about supporting contemporary expressions of culture and community.
“Lunar on Lorne brings together the many Asian communities in Auckland who celebrate Lunar New Year in different ways, in a central city space where people can come together. The mix of street dance, rap, karaoke and family activities reflects the pan-Asian communities who call Auckland home today. Lunar New Year is a time for coming together, and this event creates a celebration that feels current, welcoming and alive.”
The programme is designed for all ages, with whānau-friendly activities throughout the afternoon, including Asian board games, crafts and cultural activities. Visitors can also try Go (WeiQi 围棋) with workshops led by the New Zealand Go Society.
A special highlight is the release of Missing, a newly published children’s book by local author Thomas Chin, with opportunities to meet the author and celebrate local storytelling.
Part of Auckland’s Lunar New Year celebrations
Lunar on Lorne is part of a wider programme of Lunar New Year celebrations across Auckland’s city centre, featuring free installations, performances and cultural events from 17 February to 3 March.
For more information on the Lunar New Year city centre programme, please visit Discover Auckland at: Aucklandnz.com
Lunar on Lorne was previously known as the Midtown Street Party.
Event details
Main stage
- 12:30–1:45pm – The Art of War: Open-style crew dance battles presented by Street Talk NZ
- 1:45–2:30pm – The Art of War: Dance battle semi-finals
- 2:30–3:15pm – The Art of War: Dance battle finals and announcement of winners
- 3:15pm–3:30pm – K-pop performance by NZKDA
- 3:30–5:00pm – Lunar Cypher: Fire Horse Edition, featuring Newko & 64D (Mr. Sicc, Tay the Tayste Maker, Yuhan and BIAX), and ¥OUNG GHO$T aka 鬼打样 with AKLA Crew
All-day activities (12pm–5pm)
- Karaoke open mic hosted by Eric and Susan Qu, with special guest host Amanda Grace Leo 姐姐
- Various Asian board games hosted by the University of Auckland Asian Board Games Society
- Go (WeiQi 围棋) workshops by the New Zealand Go Society
- Crafts and cultural activities for families, hosted by Andi Liu and Jingshu Xu
- Book readings of Missing by Thomas Chin