A symbol of prosperity, fertility and good luck, the pig is the hero of Sydney's 2019 lunar festival, the largest celebration of its kind outside of Asia.

"They're said to be happy, to be honest, sincere and brave people who are born in the Year of the Pig," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told reporters on Tuesday.

The 10-day festival begins on Friday and is expected to attract upwards of 1.3 million people.

Festival curator Valerie Khoo said the festival was not only an event for Australians with Asian heritage but also the wider community to learn more about the culture.

"The pig symbolises strength and abundance - they're qualities and characteristics that are important to me but I think the wider community would resonate with as well," Ms Khoo told AAP.

This year's festivities include the largest dragon boat races in the southern hemisphere, culinary events, workshops, lion dancing and live cultural performances celebrating Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian cultures.

All 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac will be on display in the Lunar Lanterns exhibition throughout Circular Quay, Pitt St and Green Square, including an eight-metre stack of monkeys and a six-metre inflatable ox on the foreshore.

Nightly lion dancing will also take place around the lanterns and each weekend in Chinatown.

Surf Life Saving NSW will use the festival to raise awareness of water safety around the state.

Chief executive Steven Pearce said last year more than 10 per cent of drowning deaths on the NSW coast were international tourists.

Australian Associated Press