Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week

Event Info

Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week incorporates nightly performances Monday through Thursday, the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival on Friday, and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival's Saturday ho‘olaule‘a. The event is presented each year by the Royal Hawaiian Center and produced by HIMELE™ (Hawai‘i Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences). This week-long celebration of the Hawaiian steel guitar brings together legendary steel guitarists and keiki NextGen steel guitarists in nightly presentations at the Royal Grove Stage and culminates with two festival ho‘olaule‘a pageants on Friday and Saturday. This annual event is presented to heighten awareness of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar and its importance in Hawaiian music and culture.

Alan Akaka, renowned Hawaiian steel guitarist, music teacher and Chairman of the Board of HIMELE, says, "It's an honor and joy for all of us in the steel guitar community to participate in the Festival and we hope that both visitors and kama‘aina will join us."

Located at the Royal Grove entertainment venue in the heart of the Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week honors what was once the playground of Hawaiian royalty by offering a program of Hawaiian music and dance that is easily accessed by Waikīkī pedestrian traffic and center visitors.

All Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week events are free and open to the public. These include nightly hour-long programs from Monday through Thursday, the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival on Friday and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival on Saturday with morning and afternoon programs. Vintage steel guitars may be exhibited in Helumoa Hale, with steel guitar experts on hand to answer questions. Parking is available at the Royal Hawaiian Center parking garage. Standard parking rates apply. Validated parking is available with $10 purchase from any center merchant. The Friday and Saturday festivals will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week is one of a series of annual Hawaiian Steel Guitar festivals and other events produced by the Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE) and its partners.

All festivals are presented to increase awareness and foster interest in the Hawaiian Steel Guitar, an instrument important to Hawaiian music and culture. All these festivals are free and open to the public and made possible through grant awards and donations from Hawai‘i State agencies, corporate sponsors and private individuals, supplemented by in-kind contributions and volunteer resources. Please visit HIMELE's website to see how you can help support our festivals.

The 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week

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 1st 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 5th 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 16th 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.

Festival Information From Previous Festivals and Events

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Resources
HIMELE
Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium
Steel Trappings

Statewide Festivals
Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival
Maui Steel Guitar Festival
Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
Kona Steel Guitar Festival
Hilo Steel Guitar Festival
Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival
Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week

Community Festivals
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall
NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festivals

Livestream
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase