2026 Event Info

The 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week will be July 5 through July 12, 2026.

The 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week will kick off on Sunday, July 5, with Hula Grill Waikīkī's Steel Guitar Sundays program.

Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week will once again feature nightly one-hour performances on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday beginning at 5:30 P.M. Each night will feature performances by a different steel guitar master or steel guitar ensemble including the NextGEN steel guitarists and musicians from Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music.

The 1^st Annual Amateur Hawaiian Steel Guitar Contest, Ho‘okuku Kīkā Kila, will be held on Wednesday, from 4:30 to 7:30 at the Royal Grove Stage.

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J-FESTA 2026, the 5^th annual Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival will be presented on Friday of Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week beginning at 3:00 P.M. and feature steel guitarists from Japan. The festival will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.

The 16^th Annual Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival will be presented on Saturday of the event week with morning and afternoon programs showcasing the talents of popular Hawaiian steel guitarists.

Sunday's performances include a special Steel Guitar Sundays presentation at Hula Grill Waikīkī and a Grand Finale concert at Waikīkī Beach Walk's Plaza Stage featuring NextGEN steel guitarists and Emerging Stars.

Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week is free and open to the public. Parking will be available at the Royal Hawaiian Center parking garage. Standard parking rates apply with validated parking available with $25 purchase from any center merchant.