Aloha Mai Kakou!

The 8^th Annual Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week, incorporating the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival, will be a week-long event celebrating Hawaiian music and the Hawaiian steel guitar. The annual event will be held primarily at the Royal Grove Stage at Helumoa, the royalty playground at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikīkī. Performances at Hula Grill Waikīkī will also be offered. This year's event has been extended a day to incorporate Huls Grill Waikīkī's Steel Guitar Sunday program.

The 2026 annual event will be held at the Royal Hawaiian Center's Royal Grove stage and other Waikīkī venues during the week of July 5-12, 2026.

Hula Grill Waikiki will kick off the weeklong celebration on July 5 with a two-hour Steel Guitar Sundays performance featuring Alan Akaka & the Islanders.

Evening Concerts at the Royal Grove Stage will be presented on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, featuring one-hour performances by different Hawaiian steel guitar artists and ensembles including NextGEN steel guitarists, Kiyoshi "Lion" Kobayashi (celebrating his 93^rd birthday), and Masami Sato & Makana. Emcees will be Alan Akaka and Monte M

The 1^st Annual Amateur Hawaiian Steel Guitar Contest, Ho‘okuku Kīkā Kila, will be held on Wednesday, from 4:30 to 7:30 at the Royal Grove Stage.

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J-FESTA 2026, the 5^th Annual Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival will be presented on Friday, July 10, 2026, from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM and feature steel guitarists from Japan.

The 16^th Annnual Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival's Saturday ho‘olaule‘a performances will feature various Hawaiian steel guitar artists and bands in two performance segments. The first segment will be presented at 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM and the second segment will begin at 4:00 PM and run through 6:30 PM. Emcee will be Kimo Kahoano.

The 2026 event will conclude on Sunday with the continuation a Hula Grill Waikīkī's Steel Guitar Sundays special presentation featuring the Hawaiian steel guitar. The two-hour performance on July 12 will feature Alan Akaka & the Islanders. A Grand Finale concert at Waikīkī Beach Walk''s Plaza Stage featuring NextGEN steel guitarists and Emerging Stars will be presented at 6:00 PM.

All events will be presented free to the public by the Royal Hawaiian Center and are produced by the Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE™).

Friday's J-FESTA - Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival program will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Access to the livestreams was via the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase Facebook Page or the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase YouTube Channel where all livestreams are archived for demand viewing.