HIMELE Announces Cancellation of Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week

April 20, 2020 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

Another steel guitar festival is falling victim to the novel coronavirus emergency. According to HIMELE, the event's producer, the 2020 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week originally scheduled for July 13-18, 2020 will not be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Royal Hawaiian Center, the event's sponsor, is temporarily closed. According to the center's Cultural Director Monte McComber, cultural lessons and music programs on the Royal Grove Stage have stopped, and the center does not plan to resume nightly music performances in the Royal Grove until September 1, 2020.

When the center reopens, new staff/cultural instructors/musicians and performers protocols will be in place at the center for health and safety reasons.

The Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival which was to be incorporated into this year's Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week was canceled earlier. Festival organizer Tadashi Arakawa expressed concerns that some potential participants might feel anxious about travelling to Hawai‘i because of the pandemic.

Steel guitar enthusiasts are encouraged to check the festival website for information about future Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week events.