Festival musicians will provide steel guitar entertainment at the resort's HāLani Restaurant from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Festival guests will be offered hands-on opportunities to experience the steel guitar under the guidance of steel guitar expert Daniel Tremblay on Friday, November 23, beginning at 11:00 A.M. in Hale I‘ike.

A "Learn to Play" workshop and an open talk story will be conducted on Saturday morning beginning at 9:00 A.M. in the Hale I‘ike area.

Saturday TRY performances are scheduled to begin at 11:30 A.M. Formerly known as the Open Stage, the TRY designation has been adopted from the Ho‘okūkū Kīkā Kila steel guitar contest TRY division. TRY will feature guest artists and performers.

Each month during the full moon, music lovers bring blankets and folding chairs to the oceanfront lawn at the Eva Parker Woods Cottage. Musicians gather on the lanai (porch) to talk story and play their favorite tunes. The stage is humble but the talent is world-class. For over two decades, the Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a concert series has served as a Who's Who of Hawaiian music.

The festival's Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a program will include steel guitar talk story and performances by festival and NextGEN steel guitar artists and will begin at 5:00 P.M.

Guests of the Mauna Lani will enjoy Hawaiian entertainment at the HāLani Restaurant. A kanikapila-stype jam session by participating steel guitar masters and other musicians will be presented from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

An exhibit featuring vintage and contemporary lap steel guitars will be presented at the North Lanai/Hale I‘ike. The instruments are from the instrument collections of Hawai‘i-based steel guitarists appearing at the festival. Come and see this wide assortment of steel guitars on Saturday beginning at 10:00 AM.

Sales and information tables wil be set up in the Ballroom Foyer on Friday and in the North Lanai/Hale I‘ike area on Saturday. Festival merchandise including publications, Hawaiian music CDs, and steel guitar accessories will be available for purchase. Stop by and say "Hello" to Linda Mentzer.

The 2026 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience poster features pictures of the master performers superimposed on a silhouette of a Gibson EH-150 steel guitar. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.