Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week, featuring both the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival, is a week-long celebration of Hawaiian music and the art of the Hawaiian steel guitar. This annual event takes place at the Royal Grove Stage at Helumoa, the royal playground at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikīkī.
Event Details
The 2025 celebration will occur from July 6 to July 12, 2025, at the Royal Hawaiian Center’s Royal Grove stage.
Steel Guitar Sundays
Kicking off the week, Hula Grill Waikiki will launch their Steel Guitar Sundays, a monthly program dedicated to the Hawaiian steel guitar. These two-hour performances will begin at 10:00 AM on the first Sunday of each month, starting July 6, with featured artist Alan Akaka. The series will continue on August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2, and December 7.
Evening Concerts
From Monday through Thursday, evening concerts will showcase one-hour performances by various Hawaiian steel guitar artists and ensembles, including:
- Alan Akaka and The Islanders
- The Mālie Lyman Trio
- Masami Sato & Makana
- NextGen steel guitarists: Isaac, Hi‘ipoi, Enosa, Ever, Tai, and Isabella
HSGA Events
The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association (HSGA) will host their Waikiki Festival ’25 during this week, featuring performances by HSGA members on Wednesday from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at the Royal Grove Stage, and on Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort’s Diamond Head Ballroom. All HSGA performances are free to the public.
Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival