“Connect with Aloha, Forward to the New Future” is the theme of this year’s 27th Honolulu Festival beginning on Friday, March 10 thru Sunday March 12, 2023. Honolulu Festival’s vision is to introduce the diverse culture of the Pacific region to the people of Hawaii and visitors from all over the world and cultivate friendship while contributing to world peace.
Educational school tours (invited guests only) and friendship gala at the Hawaii Convention Center at 7pm, followed by craft fairs, a Japanese Film festival (Saturday) 10am-5pm at Hawaii Convention Center, and other hands-on cultural activities throughout the rest of the weekend.
The festival will include free cultural performances, fireworks show Sunday night, and of course, grand parade in Waikiki starting at Saratoga Road along Kalakaua Avenue. There will be lots of cultural performers, floats and hula dances, dance performers from the Pacific Region and appearances by Miss Hawaii, Cherry Blossom and Narcissus Queens. There are three performance stages at Hawaii Convention Center, Ala Moana Shopping Center and Waikiki Beach Walk celebrating the Pacific Rim culture!
SCHEDULE:
Educational School Tours
| Event Time | 09:00 – 13:00 (Mar 10(Fri) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
[ About Educational School Tours ]
*For Invited Guests Only
– Make the Ala Wai Canal Clean –
In addition to the traditional backstage tour, students from local schools will drop the Genki Balls into the Ala Wai Canal, which are believed to help improve water quality.
Governor’s Luncheon Reception
| Event Time | 12:00 – 13:30 (Mar 10(Fri) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Washington Place (Governor’s Mansion) |
*Doors Open: 11:30am
*For Invited Guests Only
Friendship Gala
| Event Time | 19:00 – 20:30 (Mar 10(Fri) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center 1F Kamehameha Exhibit Hall |
Tickets: $100 (Flat rate)
(includes food and one beverage)
*FREE admission for under 5 years old (NOT include food and beverages)
Schedule:
| 6:50pm | Doors Open |
|---|---|
| 7:00pm | Friendship Party |
| 8:00pm | Close |
Japanese Film Festival
| Event Time | 10:00 – 17:05 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED MOVIES
*Free Admission!!
| 10:00am～11:40am | The Sketch of Life |
|---|---|
| 01:00pm～03:07pm | A LONG GOODBYE |
| 04:00pm～05:05pm | Sumikkogurashi: Good to be in the corner |
Sake & Food Fest
| Event Time | 10:00 – 18:00 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
Exhibition of Japanese sake culture, sake sampling, food on sale
*ID with photo is required for tasting
*Samples are limited
Kyushu Food Fair
| Event Time | 10:00 – 18:00 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
Honolulu Festival will hold a Japanese products fair for the first time.
For this year’s fair, we have selected a variety of popular products from Kyushu. We hope you come and check it out and enjoy the shopping experience.
Craft Fair / Ennichi Corner / Food Corner
| Event Time | 10:00 – 18:00 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
More than 100 vendors exhibiting from around the world Including Hawaii and Japan. Ennichi corner will feature many activities for the young and young at heart.
*All the event schedules are subject to change without notice.
Stage Performances
| Event Time | 10:00 – 18:00 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center / Ala Moana Center Stage / Waikiki Beach Walk |
Come and enjoy dance, music and traditional arts performed by groups from Hawaii, Japan and other parts of the Pacific region.
*Show ends at different times depending on the venue.
*Performance schedule is subject to change without notice.
Bon Dance
| Event Time | 12:00 – 12:15 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
*For about 15 minutes each dance.
Bon Dance
| Event Time | 14:20 – 14:35 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
Aloha DANCE CONVENTION 2023：DANCE SUMMIT
| Event Time | 16:15 – 17:40 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center 1F Main Stage |
The Japanese idol group, “BANZAI JAPAN” and “Waseda University’s Getappers”, “WORLDWINGS Dance Company” will perform on stage!
*Free Entrance!!
Hitomi Shimatani Official Ambassador Inauguration Mini-Live
| Event Time | 17:00 – 17:30 (Mar 11(Sat) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center 1F Stage |
A special mini-live will be held to commemorate Hitomi Shimatani’s appointment as the 27th Honolulu Festival Official Ambassador. Since her debut in July 1999, Shimatani, a talented Japanese singer from Hiroshima, Japan, has been well received for her ability to sing various types of songs that transcend genres with her beautifully clear vocals. She has received
numerous awards including the Newcomer of the Year Award. In addition to her musical activities, she has appeared on many radio programs and TV shows in Japan.
For social contributions, “YUME Biyori” was selected as the theme song for the LGBT events in 2018. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, her charity song “Shiawase wo hakoberu youni” was released, which was sung together with 77 children from the Tohoku and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake areas. Her SDGs support song “CYCLE” was also released, as she performed at charity concerts.
*Free Entrance!!
JTB Travel and Culture Seminar in Hawai’i
| Event Time | 10:00 – 11:30 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawai‘i Convention Center 3F, Emalani Theater 320 |
The Travel and Culture series, which started in 1983 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of JTB, marks its 40th year in 2023.
The seminars have included leading personalities from various fields and able hear interesting topics related to “travel” and their expertise in the field.
The JTB Travel and Culture Seminars have received high remarks as a cultural outreach and philanthropy programs with a cultural and social mission. We will continue to select engaging topics and current trends, as we have done in the past.
This will be the 1st time the seminar will be held overseas.
Japanese Film Festival
| Event Time | 10:00 – 14:17 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED MOVIES
*Free Admission!!
| 10:00am～11:54am | Cinematic Liars of Asahi-za |
|---|---|
| 01:00pm～02:17pm | The Lone Ume Tree |
Sake & Food Fest
| Event Time | 10:00 – 15:00 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
Exhibition of Japanese sake culture, sake sampling, food on sale
*ID with photo is required for tasting
*Samples are limited
Kyushu Food Fair
| Event Time | 10:00 – 15:00 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
Honolulu Festival will hold a Japanese products fair for the first time.
For this year’s fair, we have selected a variety of popular products from Kyushu. We hope you come and check it out and enjoy the shopping experience.
Craft Fair / Ennichi Corner / Food Corner
| Event Time | 10:00 – 15:00 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
More than 100 vendors exhibiting from around the world Including Hawaii and Japan. Ennichi corner will feature many activities for the young and young at heart.
*All the event schedules are subject to change without notice.
Maui Mikoshi (Exhibit Only)
| Event Time | 10:00 – 15:00 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
The Maui mikoshi contest was developed exclusively for high school students in Maui. Each year there is a competition among high schools to design a mikoshi for the Honolulu Festival. The winning Maui mikoshi is displayed at the Hawaii Convention Center over the Festival weekend.
Stage Performances
| Event Time | 10:00 – 15:00 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center / Ala Moana Center Stage / Waikiki Beach Walk |
Live music, dance and cultural performance.
*Show ends at different times depending on the venue.
*Performance schedule is subject to change without notice.
Bon Dance
| Event Time | 12:20 – 12:35 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Hawaii Convention Center |
Grand Parade
| Event Time | 16:30 – 20:00 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Waikiki/Kalakaua Avenue |
People from Hawaii, Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries join this Grand Parade, the finale of the Honolulu Festival. This is a great chance to see the traditional performance of various countries here in Hawaii.
Nagaoka Hanabi (Nagaoka Fireworks)
| Event Time | 20:30 – 20:45 (Mar 12(Sun) ) |
|---|---|
| Place | Waikiki Beach |
Nagaoka Hanabi (Nagaoka Fireworks) is presented by Nagaoka Fireworks Foundation. Turn into “Hawaiian 105KINE” as they will sync their music to the firework show from 8:30pm
