2026 Festival Schedule Announced

December 22, 2025 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

HIMELE will present ten Hawaiian Steel Guitar festivals in 2026 throughout the State of Hawai‘i.

Leading off the parade of festivals in 2026 will be the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i scheduled for Saturday, February 7. This festival will feature six steel guitar players and some keiki players as well.

The 2026 Kona Steel Guitar Festival will be a one-day event offered in the Kona area on March 7. The location and time will be announced later. Previously a comprehensive festival including school visits, workshops, Open Stage performances, a steel guitar exhibit and public kanikapila, the festival's scope has been reduced to a concert and hands-on opportunities due to the discontinuation of the Aloha Music Camp.

The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival - Keiki Kine will be expanded to a second location in 2026. The first Keiki Kine festival will be held on April 4 at Ka Makana Ali‘i, bringing the young steel guitarists from Ke Kula Mele School of Hawaiian Music to O‘ahu's West Side.

The Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival will return to the Kukui Grove Center on Sunday, May 10.

Saturday, June 13 will be the date of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall.

Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week will be celebrated during the week of July 5-11 at the Royal Grove Stage of the Royal Hawaiian Center.

One-hour evening concerts will be presented on Monday through Thursday from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The 2026 Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar festival will be held on Friday, July 10, and the 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival will be held on Saturday, July 11. Both festivals will be livestreamed.

A second Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival - Keiki Kine will be held at Kahala Mall on Saturday, August 15, featuring youth steel guitarists from Ke Kula Mele School of Hawaiian Music.

The 2026 Maui Steel Guitar Festival will be held on Saturday, October 17, at The Shops at Wailea.

The 2026 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani will be held on November 19-22 at the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection. For now this is the only comprehensive festival offered which includes school visits, workshops, Open Stage performances, a steel guitar exhibit, and public kanikapila. The Resort's Twilight at Kalalauhuipua‘a community program featuring the steel guitar will be incorporate into the festival as it has been in prior years.

Livestreaming of concert performances is planned for all festivals except those on Maui and Kaua‘i. Dates for some events are tentative, subject to venue scheduling and approval. Check the event calendar at steeltrappings.com or himele.org for current festival scheduling information.

All festivals are free, open to the public, and are made possible through funding provided by the Hawai‘i State Foundation for Culture and the Arts, the Laurence H. Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation, private contributions and by support provided by event venues.