Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival Part 1

The 16^th Annual Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival was held on Saturday, July 11, 2026. The first segment began at 11:00 AM and featured steel guitarists Steve Cheney, Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz from Maui, Greg Sardinha & Po‘okela (Zachary Castro and Kata Maduli), Mālie Lyman, and Kiyoshi "Lion" Kobayashi from Tokyo, Japan. The second segment began at 4:00 PM and featured Masami Sato and Makana (Kazuko Tanaka, Kazuko Ishii, Ayumi Kato, Toshiko Konno, and Michiko Makiuchi) from Japan, Christo Ruppenthal from Madison, Wisconsin, winners from the 1^st annual Ho‘okūkū Kīkā Kila Hawaiian Steel Guitar Contest, and Alan Akaka & the Islanders with special guests. Emcee was Monte McComber.

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• Featured steel guitarist Steve Cheney.
• Dylan Nakahara.
• Kaipo Lindsey.
• Dylan Nakahara and Alan Akaka.
• Kaipo Lindsey and David Woodward.
• Alan Akaka.
• Steve Cheney with Dylan Nakahara, Alan Akaka, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Featured steel guitarist Mālie Lyman with Alan Akaka and Kaipo Lindsey.
• Mālie Lyman with Dylan Nakahara, Alan Akaka, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Grant Kono from Ei Nei.
• Dylan Nakahara.
• Grant Kono, Dylan Nakahara, Alan Akaka, Mālie Lyman, Kaipo Lindsey, David Woodward, and Schuyler Woodward with lei.
• Alan Akaka, Grant Kono, and Mālie Lyman.
• Alan Akaka and Mālie Lyman.
• Dylan Nakahara, Alan Akaka, Mālie Lyman, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Mālie Lyman.
• Featured steel guitarist Greg Sardinha.
• Greg Sardinha and Poʻokela: Zachary Castro and Kata Maduli.
• Greg Sardinha with Zach Castro and Kata Maduli.
• Zach Castro and Greg Sardinha.
• Kata Maduli.
• Zach Castro, Greg Sardinha, and Kata Maduli.
• Emcee Monte McComber.
• Featured steel guitarist Geronimo ʻʻGeriʻʻ Valdriz with Dylan Nakahara, Alan Akaka, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• David Woodward.
• Geri Valdriz and Kaipo Lindsey.
• Geri Valdriz, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Unnamed guest hula dancer.
• Some steel guitar equipment on display.
• Lion Steel Guitar Ensemble members Sakae Machida and Haruko Ozeki.
• Haruko Ozeki and Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi.
• Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi and Paul Okubo.
• Sakae Machida and Haruko Ozeki.
• Haruko Ozeki.
• Sakae Machida, Haruko Ozeki, Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi, and Paul Okubo.
• Sakae Machida, Haruko Ozeki, Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi, Paul Okubo, and Masako Wakamatsu.
• Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi with Haruko Ozeki and Paul Okubo.

Back to Gallery: 2026 Waikiki Steel Guitar Week

Photography by Don Rostow ©2026 by Don Rostow and HIMELE.