Celebrating Steel Guitars in Waikīkī – 2026 Style

January 10, 2026 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

Planning for the 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week is well under way. This will be the 8^th annual celebration of the weeklong event.

The 2026 event will be held July 5 through 12, 2026, and include steel guitar artists from Hawai‘i and Japan.

The 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week will kick off on Sunday, July 5, with Alan Akaka the Islanders continuing the Steel Guitar Sundays program at Hula Grill Waikiki.

Monday through Thursday one-hour evening concerts at the Royal Hawaiian Center's Royal Grove stage will feature a variety of steel guitar artists. Alan Akaka & the Islanders will perform on Monday. Tuesday's evening concert will feature Japan's Kiyoshi "Lion" Kobayashi who will be celebrating his 93^rd birthday that day.

NextGEN steel guitarists from Ke Kula Mele School of Hawaiian Music will be featured on Wednesday's evening concert, and Japan's Masami Sato & Makana will perform on Thursday. All evening concerts begin at 5:30 PM.

The 5^th annual Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival will be held on Friday, July 10. Now known as J-FESTA in Japan, this event will feature steel guitarists and groups from Japan. The J-FESTA branding also includes steel guitar events held in Japan.

The 16^th annual Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival will be held on Saturday, July 11. The morning segment will begin at 11 AM and the afternoon segment will begin at 4:00 PM. .

The 2026 event has been expanded to include Sunday, July 12. NextGEN steel guitarists will perform at the Waikiki Beach Walk's Plaza Stage as a part of Waikiki Beach Walk's Mele Hali‘a, a monthly showcase featuring the finest in Hawaiian musical performances.

Both the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival will be livestreamed.

Check the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week's website for additional festival information, including performance schedules for all events.