Festival Information

The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival is presented by the Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE) and the Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music. The festival brings together legendary steel guitarists for a celebration of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar. This free, 3-day festival includes a series of performances, presentations, instructional workshops, jam sessions and public and private school visitations that are focused on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar and its importance in the Hawaiian music genre.

The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival at the Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection 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.

• The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festivals are community-based festivals produced by HIMELE on O‘ahu.
• The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i at Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center in February-March
• The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall at Windward Mall Shopping Center in June
• The NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festivals
• NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i at Ka Makana Ali‘i
at Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center in April
• NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i - Hana Hou! at Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center in August
• The Hilo Steel Guitar Festival at Prince Kuhio Plaza in March
• The Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival at Kukui Grove Center in May
• The J-FESTA - Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center in July
• The Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week (incorporating the J-FESTA - Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival) at Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center in July
• The Maui Steel Guitar Festival at The Shops at Wailea on Maui in October
• The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani (incorporating the Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival) at Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection on Hawai‘i Island in November
• The Kona Steel Guitar Festival is on hiatus until further notice due to the discontinuation of the Aloha Music Camp. Please check the website for updated information.
• The NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Kahala Mall is also on hiatus until further notice.
• The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase - livestreamed Hawaiian steel guitar presentations including selected festival ho‘olaule‘a concerts on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase Facebook Page and YouTube Channel

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 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience

The Experience will begin on Thursday, November 19, and run through Sunday, November 22. The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival's ho‘olaule‘a concert will be held on Friday, November 22, featuring steel guitar masters Alan Akaka, Ken Emerson, Bobby Ingano, Colin John, Kapono Lopes, Mālie Lyman, Dwight Tokumoto, and Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz. Ethan Goore will guest appear at Kanikapila and TRY events.

TRY performances, formerly known as the Open Stage, will be held indoors in the North Lanai/Hale I‘iki area. The hotel's monthly Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a cltural program featuring the Hawaiian steel guitar will be on Saturday, November 21, and include performances by festival artists and NextGEN steel guitarists. A Sunday brunch entertainment and kanikapila will be offered on the lawn of the HāLani Restaurant.

In addition to the main concert and the resort's Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a cultural program, the 2026 experience will also include school visits, workshops, a vintage steel guitar exhibit, public kanikapila, and hands-on opportunities for festival guests.

Please see the Contact Form if you wish to sign up for an Open Stage Performance slot and/or a School Visitation for your classroom.

Festival Information From Previous Festivals

• The 2025 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience - Festival Info
• The 2024 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience - Festival Info
• The 2023 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience - Festival Info
• The 2022 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience - Festival Info
• The 2020 Festival - Festival Info – Festival canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
• The 2019 Special Edition Festival - Festival Info
• The 2018 Festival - Festival Info
• The 2017 Festival - Festival Info