Festival Program

The performance schedule for the featured artists is undergoing development and will be posted here when it is available.

Friday Festival Ho‘olaule‘a Pageant — Ballroom

Friday's ho‘olaule‘a will begin at 4:00 P.M. and will feature eight steel guitar masters in separate programs for your enjoyment. The emcee will be Kimo Kahoano. The ho‘olaule‘a will be livestreamed.

Featured Steel Guitarists

This year's featured steel guitarists include Alan Akaka, Pomai Brown, Ethan Goore, Bobby Ingano, Kapono Lopoes, Mālie Lyman, Dwight Tokumoto, and Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz.

• Alan Akaka
• Pomai Brown
• Ethan Goore
• Bobby Ingano
• Kapono Lopes
• Mālie Lyman
• Dwight Tokumoto
• Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz

Friday Kanikapila — Ballroom

Friday's kanikapila will follow the festival ho‘olaule‘a in the Ballroom and will be open to the public. Guests can bring an instrument and play along with festival musicians or just come and enjoy the music. If your instrument requires amplification bring along a battery-powered amplifier.

Saturday Workshop — North Lanai/Hale I‘ike

A "Learn to Play" workshop and an open talk story will be conducted on Saturday morning beginning at 9 A.M. in the North Lanai area.

Saturday Open Stage Entertainment — Surf Shack Deck and Lawn

Saturday Open stage sessions are scheduled to begin at 11:30 A.M. and will feature guest artists and performers. These 30-minute playing sessions will showcase steel guitarists and Hawaiian music groups from all over the world.

Saturday Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a — Eva Parker Woods Cottage

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 be hosted by Kahu Hanai Danny Akaka, Jr. The program includes steel guitar talk story and performances by festival and NextGen steel guitar artists. Alan Akaka and Danny Akaka, Jr. will close the program.

NextGen Steel Guitarists

NextGen (Next Generation) Steel Guitar students of Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music will perform for festival attendees' enjoyment.

• Isabella Bertelmann
• Hi‘ipoi Lindsay
• Enosa Lyman
• Makamae Lyu-Napoleon
• Tai Misailidis

Sunday Breakfast Entertainment — HāLani Restaurant Lawn

Guests of the Mauna Lani's Sunday brfeakfast at the HāLani Restaurant will enjoy music from a kanikapila-stype jam session by participating steel guitar masters and other musicians.

Steel Guitar Exhibit — North Lanai/Hale I‘ike (Saturday 10:00 AM - 4 PM)

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.

Steel Guitar Hands-On Opportunities — Surf Shack (Friday and Saturday at various times)

Festival guests will be offered hands-on opportunities to experience the steel guitar under the guidance of a steel guitar expert.

Festival Information and Sales - North Lanai/Hale I‘ike

Sales and information tables wil be set up in the North Lanai/Hale I‘ike area. Festival merchandise including publications, Hawaiian music CDs, and steel guitar accessories will be available for purchase.

For the convenience of festival guests, sales and information tables will be temporarily set up in the Ballroom during Friday night's ho‘olaule‘a concert.

The Festival Poster

Festival Archives

The Festival Archives contains program information from previous festivals.

• The 2022 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
• The 2020 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival – Festival canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
• The 2019 Special Edition Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
• The 2018 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
• The 2017 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival