Come February, Melbourne will once again kick off its Chinese New Year celebrations – this time, to welcome the Year of the Dog in 2018.

The official lunar new year starts on Friday February 16 but the Melbourne celebrations will start from around mid January in some locations. There will be festivities across the city featuring traditional live music, food, firecrackers, street performers, martial artists and the traditional lion dance down Little Bourke Street aka Chinatown.

See the full programme of events on the Chinese New Year Website.