Venue
Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, HI 96815, United States
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Aloha Festivals, Hawaii guide
Hula and chant on Kalakaua Avenue.
In short
Aloha Festivals suit visitors who want to see Hawaiian culture in the street. Events usually fall across several September Saturdays on Oahu; the 2027 dates are estimated, following 2026's opening ceremony, Waikiki Ho'olaule'a and Floral Parade. Events are free, so plan around the Ho'olaule'a block party and the parade.
Aloha Festivals is Hawaii's month of Native Hawaiian music, dance and pageantry, held every September in Waikiki and around Oahu. It began in 1946 as Aloha Week, drew its model from the Makahiki new year season, and remains a free series of events that around a million people attend.
For visitors it is the most public view of Hawaiian culture all year: chant, hula and Hawaiian music performed in the open street. The festival runs largely on goodwill, with roughly 30,000 volunteers each year. Its two big public moments are a night-long block party on Kalakaua Avenue and a morning parade of flower-covered floats and riders on horseback.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Saturday, 25 September 2027
Where: Honolulu, United States
Venue: Kalakaua Avenue
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Folk Festival, Parade
Currency: US dollar (USD, $)
Time zone: Hawaii-Aleutian Time (UTC-10, no daylight saving)
Language: English (Spanish widely spoken)
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Watching the Floral Parade near a grandstand
The organisers suggest watching near one of the grandstands, where an announcer explains each unit as it passes. In 2026 these stood at Ala Moana Park, the Prince Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Center and the Moana Surfrider. Without the narration the island colours and the names of the halau are easy to miss.
Arrive early for a front-row spot and bring water, sunscreen and a hat for the long wait in the morning sun. Keep space clear for the horses. Riders and their mounts are the stars here, and a startled horse in a crowd is dangerous.
Meeting points and crowds at the Ho'olaule'a
Hawaii's largest annual block party fills a long stretch of Kalakaua Avenue with stages, food booths and craft stalls, and thousands of people walk it in the dark. Agree a meeting point with your group before you go in, ideally a hotel lobby or a fixed landmark off the street, so nobody has to search the crowd.
Come early if you want to shop the crafts: vendors open two hours before the stage music starts, and that window is the calmest time to browse and eat. Carry some cash for food stalls and small purchases. Small children do best on shoulders or in a carrier once the evening crowd builds.
Behaviour during the Royal Court investiture
The investiture is a ceremony first and a performance second. Stand or sit quietly while chants are delivered, and hold applause until a chant or hula is clearly finished. If you take photos, keep the flash off during chant and do not step into the performance space for a better angle.
The same courtesy applies at the parade when the Royal Court passes. The court members are chosen from people of Hawaiian ancestry and represent something more than a beauty contest, so treat their unit as you would any formal procession.
What happens on the day
- First Saturday
Royal Court Investiture and Opening Ceremony
In 2026 this ran from 4 to 6 p.m. at Helumoa beside the Royal Hawaiian Center, with hula, chant and the formal presentation of the court.
- Mid-month
Smaller free events
The organisers add performances and community events to their calendar as the month approaches.
- Third Saturday
Waikiki Ho'olaule'a
Kalakaua Avenue closes to traffic for a street party. In 2026 food and craft vendors opened at 4 p.m. and the stages ran from 6 until 10 p.m.
- Last Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon
Floral Parade
Pa'u riders, floats, bands and the Royal Court move slowly through Waikiki. Pick a spot near the start to see the horses and lei while they are still fresh.
Staying near Kalakaua for the three festival Saturdays
Aloha Festivals is not a single weekend. Recent editions have spread the main events over three Saturdays, with the street party and the parade a week apart near the end of the month. A trip of eight or nine days timed to cover those last two Saturdays catches the biggest crowds and the most colour. Come a fortnight earlier as well if you want the opening ceremony.
No tickets are needed for the main events, so planning comes down to flights, a room and a rough plan for each Saturday. Build the rest of the week around the beach and the island, and keep your evenings loose. The free series also includes smaller performances that the organisers add to their calendar as the month approaches.
How Aloha Week began in 1946
The festival began in 1946 as Aloha Week, started by former members of the local Junior Chamber of Commerce. Its model was the Makahiki, the Native Hawaiian new year that began with the rising of the Pleiades. Its purpose then and now is to keep Hawaiian culture in public life. Each year a Royal Court is chosen from applicants of Hawaiian ancestry and presented at Helumoa, a section of Waikiki beside today's Royal Hawaiian Center.
The pa'u riders are the parade's link to old Hawaiian horsemanship. Men and women ride in long draped skirts, grouped in units for the islands, each with a princess at its head. Tradition says nobody becomes pa'u queen without first having represented every one of the eight islands on horseback. In 2026 that honour went to Faith Kalama, who rode in purple, the favourite colour of Queen Lili'uokalani, with lei of pua kalaunu.
There have been lean years. The celebration once ran on six islands, until a shortage of money in 2008 pulled most events back to Oahu. At the Ho'olaule'a the food booths lean on island cooking, and award-winning hula halau take turns on the stages.
Getting there
Flying in
Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport handles flights from the US mainland, Asia and the neighbour islands.
Airport to Waikiki
TheBus route 20 runs into Waikiki about every half hour through Downtown, from the upper level outside departures. Pay in cash or with a Holo card; drivers give no change. Bags must sit on your knees or under the seat, so with full-size cases take an airport shuttle or, for a group, a taxi.
In Waikiki
Walk. Kalakaua Avenue runs one way toward Diamond Head, while Kuhio Avenue a block inland is two-way, and nearly everything is close together.
Ho'olaule'a night
Kalakaua closes to cars from late afternoon; in 2015 the closure ran from Lewers Street to Kealohilani Avenue. Police reopen the road when the crowd clears.
Hiring a car
Only worth it for exploring the rest of the island; parking in Waikiki is expensive and you will not need it for the festival.
Where to stay during the festival
Stay in Waikiki. Every headline event happens on or beside Kalakaua Avenue, so you can walk out of the lobby and onto the parade route. The central blocks keep you close to the opening ceremony; the eastern end, beside Kapiolani Park, suits anyone who prefers an early night between events.
September is still a busy month in Waikiki, so book once Aloha Festivals publishes its dates and choose a cancellable rate.
Weather and what to pack
September is one of the warmest and driest months in Honolulu. On the 1991-2020 normals for Honolulu International Airport, it averages a high of 31.3°C (88.4°F) and a low of 23.8°C (74.8°F), with just 22 mm of rain over about seven days of light showers. The sea is around 27°C.
Trade winds usually keep the heat bearable, but the parade route has little shade by late morning. September is also within the central Pacific hurricane season, so watch forecasts in the days before.
Worth packing
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat
- A refillable water bottle for the parade morning
- A light shirt or aloha wear
- Comfortable sandals for the Ho'olaule'a crowds
- A folding stool or mat for the kerb
- Cash in small notes for food booths and TheBus
Car hire in Honolulu
Airport transfer to Aloha Festivals, Hawaii
Met at arrivals and driven door to door to Kalakaua Avenue.
Restaurants and food in United States
Places to eat in United States before or after the celebrations.
Joe's Stone Crab
11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Cuisine:SeafoodAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Bar
Alinea
1723 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
Cuisine:ModernistAmerican
- Dine-in
- Counter seating
Franklin Barbecue
900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Cuisine:Texas barbecueAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Commander's Palace
1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130, United States
Cuisine:CreoleNew Orleans
- Dine-in
Katz's Delicatessen
205 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002, United States
Cuisine:Jewish deliAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Counter seating
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Prices & payment
No. The festival has been a free series since its early years. You can watch the Floral Parade, wander the Ho'olaule'a and attend the opening ceremony without a ticket. Money is only needed for food, drink and the crafts on sale.
When money ran short, private donors and the City and County of Honolulu stepped in to keep the parade on the streets. It now also has a presenting sponsor: in 2026 that was 'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach.
Timing & weather
The organisers make the call. In 2026 Hurricane Nolo was lingering south of the state on parade weekend, and the procession still went ahead as scheduled. If a storm is forecast, follow Aloha Festivals' announcements on the morning itself.
Around a million people turn out over the whole season. The Ho'olaule'a alone typically draws thousands onto Kalakaua Avenue in a single evening.
General
It forms at Ala Moana Regional Park and Magic Island, heads along Kalakaua Avenue through Waikiki and finishes at Kapiolani Park near Diamond Head. The traditional start is the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kamakee Street.
A rider on horseback dressed in the pa'u, a long draped riding skirt. Both men and women ride, grouped in units that represent the islands, each led by a princess. The best riders can become pa'u queen.
Court members are selected from applicants of Hawaiian ancestry who fall within set age limits. They are formally presented at the opening ceremony and then take part in events through the month, including a place in the Floral Parade.
Yes. There was no festival in 2020 because of COVID-19. It came back in 2021 and has run every September since.
The food booths concentrate on Hawaii cooking and local flavours from around Oahu, alongside stalls selling crafts made by island artisans. Plan on eating as you walk between the stages.
Each entry chooses its own. In 2026 the Lili'uokalani Trust built its float around Ulu Hai Malama (The Queen's Garden), while Na Pua O Ko'olaupoko marked eight decades of the festival with 80 Years of Aloha and put young dancers at the front.