SYDNEY, Jan. 24 -- Cutting-edge break dancers, traditional drummers, swirling lions and non-stop Asian pop started Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival on Friday.

Continuing throughout the weekend, Sydney's Belmore Park will be transformed into a bustling marketplace, exploding with the sights, sounds and tastes of Asia as part of the City of Sydney's program of events to welcome the Year of the Horse.

The Mayor Clover Moore said she was thrilled to see this year's line-up of colorful stalls, workshops and entertainment.

"People born in the Year of the Horse are characterized by their grandiosity and magnificence -- that fits the City's Chinese New Year celebrations which promise a spectacular experience for all the family," the mayor said.

The action-packed markets are a much-loved feature of the Chinese New Year celebrations, attracting thousands of people each year to celebrate Sydney's diversity and also provide a fantastic boost to local businesses.