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ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Barbra. "

Good morning, this picture doesn’t do justice to colors of this rainbow. It felt amazing, it was so big!  Beautiful start to Aloha Friday!"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Aloha Friday</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Barbra.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Aloha Friday

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Barbra. &quot;Good morning, this picture doesn’t do justice to colors of this rainbow. It felt amazing, it was so big!  Beautiful start to Aloha Friday!&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

Changes are in the works for two organizations focused on improving Waikīkī.

Starting July 1, the Waikīkī Business Improvement District, or WBID, and Waikīkī Improvement Association, or WIA, will align management in an effort to streamline operations, reduce overhead and enhance efficiency.

It's not a merger; WBID, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will continue to operate independently under the umbrella and management of WIA, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, joining three other nonprofits that already do so: Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District Association (WBSIDA), the Waikīkī Transportation Management Association (WTMA) and Aloha Festivals. Each organization will maintain their own boards, funding and decision-making abilities.

"It's important because what we wanted to do was bring together and make more efficient the way that these organizations operated," Trevor Abarzua, president and executive director of WBID told Aloha State Daily this week. "They're all in Waikīkī. They all have similar but different missions, but there isn't necessarily a need for the duplication of staff, the duplication of resources, whether that's accounting or lawyers or everything that goes into overhead for a company or an organization. The reason we want to do the management alignment was to consolidate the overhead and then consolidate some of the roles."

[{"type":"text","text":"Here's what that looks like:"}]

Abarzua will become the president and CEO of WIA, replacing retiring CEO Rick Egged. John Zerfas, currently director of strategic initiatives for WBID will become the vice president of operations for WIA and a new position will be created for the vice president of community engagement. WBID's Administrative Director Suzanne Kirio will carry that role over to the WIA. There's also an opening for an events and member services position, replacing a vacant WIA communications director role.

Those five positions will be under the auspices of and paid from WIA funds.

That consolidation means "a savings across the board, not only for the WBID, but for all the other organizations, [as well as] consolidating who that leader is in Waikīkī, or who you go to for things," Abarzua says. "What we want to do is have a one-stop shop, that the WIA is a one-stop shop where you could get anything done in Waikīkī, whether you want to meet with the business community, you want to meet with the Neighborhood Board, you want to talk about the beach replenishment projects, you want to talk about the [Aloha] Ambassador program. You could reach out to one entity and they'll have the answers for everything, rather than having different spokespeople or different staff for all these different things. It made sense."

Abarzua says WIA will also be a bridge between the broader community and government.

[{"type":"text","text":"Meanwhile, Each 501(c)(3) nonprofit will have a day-to-day director."}]

WBID Deputy Director Dave Willard will oversee WBID operations under the new structure while Dolan Eversole and Blaine Kia, alongside other cultural and community leaders, will continue in their roles with WBSIDA and Aloha Festivals, respectively. There's currently an opening for a full-time position with WTMA.

According to a timeline on its website, WIA actually established the WBID in 2001 — but the organization branched off on its own a few years later.

"Now's a great time to bring it back together under this management alignment, under this umbrella of services, just based on the growth of Waikīkī, the growth of the initiatives that both the BID and WIA have worked on, and I think it just makes it more aligned for the organizations to be working hand-in-hand," Abarzua says.

[{"type":"text","text":"According to Abarzua, the nonprofits each pay a management fee to WIA."}]

WBID will pay an annual fee of about $345,000, about 6% of its budget, to WIA, "providing executive leadership, board support and coordinated communications," according to information provided during WBID's annual meeting in May. Meanwhile, a 25% cost share, about $76,000, will support the two VP roles.

"By taking the executive director and admin director salaries off the WBID books, and paying only a 25% cost share of the new VP of operations and a 25% cost share of a new VP of community engagement at the WIA level, WBID is able to generate significant administrative savings," the information noted. 

All told, WBID stands to save nearly $170,000. The money saved will be reinvested for more community services, Abarzua says.

So what will the people who live, work and visit Waikīkī notice with this change?

"With the alignment itself, one of the things they will notice is more efficiency in the way these organizations are run," Abarzua says. "But what the vision is for WIA is that we want to really reimagine what the organization does and how it's portrayed."

[{"type":"text","text":"That means a rebrand."}]

"We want to, again, rebrand WIA, with a new brand, a new name, a new look, new feel ... and we're going to do that over the next six to 12 months, starting in July, to be more community-facing," Abarzua told ASD. "Waikīkī Improvement Association's been around for a number of years, but we wanted to not only manage these key, crucial nonprofits, but I think this is a really great opportunity for the organization to really lead on how is Waikīkī branded?"

For his part, Abarzua, 33, says he couldn't be more excited to step into his new leadership role.

"There's a lot of momentum right now and I stand on the shoulders of giants that I've been able to learn from," he says. "Rick Egged in particular has been a staple in Waikīkī for 27 years. ... I've been able to learn under them for three-plus years in this role at the WBID, and being able to see what works and to learn from these guys that have so much wisdom, but then what I'm excited for, too, is to bring my own touch to it. I'm a younger guy. I have fresh ideas. I have fresh energy, so to take the things I've learned and to take the historical aspects of what's been going on, but then to really drive the idea of 'hey, we want to do new things. We want to really grow what Waikīkī  is doing,' just to make it the best possible destination in the world and the best possible community, not only to come to visit, but also to live in, to work in, to hang out and surf in. We want this to be for everyone."

, WBID was formed to help supplement city services and is supported by grants, donations and commercial property assessments on nearly 3,800 commercial properties in the Waikīkī Special District.

Part of WBID's efforts to keep Waikīkī clean and safe include the Aloha Ambassador Program, Safe & Sound Waikīkī, houseless and mental health outreach, and disaster preparedness training, its website notes.

(ICYMI: Read about Aloha Ambassador General Manager Solomon Kaimimoku 

Meanwhile, Abarzua says that WIA's main focus is representing the entire community of Waikīkī, not just businesses, but the residential community, the workforce, "just anything Waikīkī related."

WIA "works to enhance Waikīkī's physical, economic and cultural environment," its 

Trevor Abarzua Talking to an Ambassador

<title>Waikīkī Business Improvement District, Improvement Association to align management</title>

The move aims to streamline operations, reduce overhead and enhance efficiency and goes into effect July 1.

Waikīkī Business Improvement District, Improvement Association to align management

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Viewpoints

The debate between the spelling and pronunciation of Molokaʻi or Molokai (with or without the glottal stop, or ʻokina, between the “a” and “i”) has been ongoing for decades.

Shortly after Aloha State Daily launched in January 2025, we decided to use diacritics in our reporting and across our website, setting out to do so accurately and consistently. 

The house style agreed upon at the time was "Molokai," based on this article from 

We chose to use the ʻokina and kahakō because, one, because our Content Management System allowed for it (some donʻt). But mostly, to preserve the culture, history and meaning of the Native Hawaiian language, people and places we write about daily.

Among our earliest articles was ASD Reporter Stephanie Salmons' 

, a professor of Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, who is also known as “the godfather of the Hawaiian language revitalization movement” in the 1980s.

According to past reporting, Kimura also was a producer for Ka Leo Hawai‘i, a 

 show that ran from 1972 to 1988, where he interviewed native ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers. Those recordings can be heard at Kaniʻāina (

). Naturally, he was one of our go-tos on the Molokai question.

“Those speakers, who were born and raised on Molokaʻi, all pronounced the name of their island as Molokaʻi with the ʻokina letter,” Kimura recently told ASD by email. “Also, all the Native Hawaiian speakers not from Molokaʻi who interacted in conversation with them pronounced Molokaʻi with the ʻokina. … It is too bad the missionary alphabet did not know how to deal with that phonetic letter for the Hawaiian spelling back then.” 

For Hawaiian references, our newsroom primarily uses this site, 

, or a physical copy of the revised Hawaiian Dictionary co-authored by Mary Kawena Puku’i and Samuel H. Elbert in 1961, along with the revised and expanded edition of “Place Names of Hawai’i” by Puku’i, Elbert and Esther T. Mookini.

Those resources list the island as “Molokaʻi,” the latter book defining it as being “38 miles long, 10 miles wide, 261 square-miles in area, and in 1970, a population of 5,261.” Today, its population is between 7,000 to 7,500 people, per the most recent census data.

Merriam-Webster cites the geographical name as "Molokai," varying as “Molokaʻi." 

 has entries both ways but lists “Molokaʻi” first and most often, followed by “Molokai,” citing the revised Hawaiian dictionary by Henry H. Parker from 1922.

Peter T. Young of local planning and consulting firm 

opined that this debate dates back to 1778 when Captain Cook visited the Hawaiian Islands and attempted to turn an oral language into a written one, using 

Morotoi, or Morokoi (Molokai). See how the early writers spelled and pronounced certain words 

What seems to be the biggest point of contention; however, is over its meaning.

Molokaʻi (pronunciation: Moh-loh-kah-ee) translates to twisting or turning (“mola”) leader (alakaʻi).

Molokai (pronunciation: Moh-loh-kye or (Moh-Kye) means “twisting waters (kai)” or "gathering of ocean waters.”

Molokai native Miki'ala Pescaia shared with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Ka Wai Ola magazine in June 2021: “When you put them together, what makes more sense 

 ‘Moloka'i’, the twisting leader, or ‘Molokai’, the twisting ocean waters? The late Harriet Ne 

 a historian, hula master and one of my father's teachers 

 said it should be 'Molokai,' referring to the waterspouts often seen off the island. Old maps show spelling variations, including Molokai, Morotoi and Molotoi, but they all have three syllables, not four as there would be when you say those words with an 'okina."

Current KWO Editor Puanani Akamine told ASD, “At OHA, we use the ʻokina mainly because that is how it is spelled in UH Hilo's online Hawaiian dictionary, 

. My grandmother was from Molokaʻi and a native speaker. She always pronounced it with an ʻokina, so that is my personal default, as well.”

asked Hālawa Valley resident Anakala Pilipo Solatorio to share why he uses “Molokai,” which he learned from his grandparents and ʻohana from the island. In the interview he notes, “My kūpunahine Lilia Hale also told me the same thing and went on to say that ʻMoloka'iʻ would refer to ʻAlaka'i,ʻ the Hawaiian value of leadership, which would then change the meaning ... to ‘twisted leader.’”

One Oʻahu-based Hawaiian language teacher didn't want to go on record with their thoughts for fear of backlash from the community. Some of the folks we asked from the Friendly Isle sided with “Molokai.”

 Executive Director Alice J. Ka'ahanui told ASD, “Personally, I choose to use ʻMolokaiʻ without the ʻokina because I was born and raised on Molokai and that is the way I was taught by our kūpuna. (It almost sounds like there is an 'okina because the ‘ai’ sounds like ‘eye’ with a heavy accent on ‘i’)."

She added that during the mid-to-late ’80s, that generation of college students started learning to use the ʻokina.

“I remember one person saying they learned the term ʻMolokaiʻ was incorrect because they likened the twisting and turning in the ocean to the way a toilet bowl turns. That cast a negative view of the word, and thinking back was probably used to encourage more people to pronounce it with the ʻokina.” Ka'ahanui continued. “To me, Moloka‘i just became a more contemporary pronunciation.”

“I also remember someone saying that when Mary Kawena Pukui was working on the dictionary, she didn't ask someone from Molokai for the pronunciation. It was someone on Hawaiʻi island that gave her the pronunciation.”

Kumu Pa’a Nui Lawrence Kalainia Kamani Aki of 

 is a 50th generation Hawaiian cultural practitioner, who teaches online and in-person workshops on the island.

“I live by the oral teaching of Na Kūpuna O Hālawa Valley, Molokai,” she told ASD by email. “I understand the University of Hawaiʻi standardizing the language. I have heard all the points of views of the younger generation and Na Kūpuna agreeing with the University of Hawaiʻi due to their degrees they have received from these Western education institutions.”

, also from Hālawa Valley, said that the pronunciation is not as important as the meaning, which he acknowledged references the ocean currents surrounding the island's southern shores.

pronunciations are correct and depends on which ʻohana you are speaking with.

Keldin Calairo-Nakagawa, lead singer of Hawaiian-reggae group 

told ASD this week that he uses both and that either way works.

ASD ghost stories columnist Lopaka Kapanui

 weighed in, saying, “According to natives of the island, and our dear friend whose ʻohana is from there, it's ‘Molokai,’ or 'rolling waters due to the Ka'iwi channel.'

 from the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, his answer broadened to, “Guess it depends.”

While “guess it depends” seems like the best answer for colloquial conversations, as a news organization where words are the backbone of our business and meaning matters not only to us but our readers, our inclination is to stick with Molokai.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"What’s yours?"}]

Molokai map

<title>Molokaʻi or Molokai, and why? ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers, community share manaʻo</title>

Aloha State Daily revisits the Molokaʻi or Molokai debate over the spelling and pronunciation of the place name — with or without an ʻokina — initially for our own house style guide used across the website. Here’s what we learned from community members statewide.

Molokaʻi or Molokai, and why? ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers, community share manaʻo

Real Estate

The long-shuttered, 90-year-old Queen Theater in Kaimukī has hit the market for the first time in more than 50 years.

Originally constructed in 1936, the 12,497-square-foot building sits on a 10,396-square foot parcel at 3588 Wai‘alae Ave. CBRE's Matthew McKeever is leading the marketing efforts.

According to an announcement from CBRE, the property is offered fee simple and as-is, "providing the acquiring investor full ownership of both land and improvements in a submarket where such control is rarely available."

The asking price was not noted in the announcement or on a 

The Queen Theater has been a fixture on Wai‘alae Avenue for nearly 90 years, and opportunities to acquire fee simple control of a property like this in Kaimukī simply don't come around," McKeever said in the announcement. “Investors who understand Honolulu's land constraints recognize what that means for long-term value."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"He declined to comment further."}]

"Kaimukī is a supply-constrained urban infill submarket characterized by limited new commercial development and infrequent ownership turnover along its primary corridor," CBRE says. "Fee simple assets of this scale along Wai‘alae Avenue have rarely changed hands, positioning the Queen Theater as a durable long-term hold for investors seeking established Honolulu neighborhood retail fundamentals."

The Historic Hawai‘i Foundation says that the 850-seat theater, listed as "endangered" in 2006, is a relic from the "golden age of cinema" that hosted everything from traveling vaudeville shows to 25-cent matinees. In later years, it became a second-run theater that hosted midnight showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and later an adult theater, the 

The news of its listing follows recent action from the Honolulu City Council, which on June 3 approved 

, a move that could allow the city to potentially move forward on the acquisition of the theater. 

The resolution revises the city's Public Infrastructure Map, or PIM, for the Primary Urban Center Development Plan area, adding a symbol for a government building to the property.

"Two years ago, the Council adopted Resolution 24-1 76, CD1, which requested the administration to take the steps necessary to acquire the Queen Theater property for public use as a city-owned multipurpose venue for theatrical, musical and community performances, and if necessary, to prepare a resolution for the Council to initiate proceedings in eminent domain," a 

 on the May 21 meeting of the city's Committee on Zoning & Planning notes. "The PIM amendment will allow for the appropriation of funds in the city’s capital budget for land acquisition of the Queen Theater property, which is owned by Narciso Yu Jr., and Adoree Yu."

The fiscal year 2027 capital budget currently appropriates $4 million to do so, the report states.

However, according to the report, the deputy director of the city Department of Planning and Permitting testified on May 21 that because of current and competing budget restraints, the administration does not want to purchase the theater property at this time, although "there is always potential for future consideration."

Queen theater 061026

<title>For sale: Queen Theater in Kaimukī</title>

Originally constructed in 1936, the long-shuttered 12,497-square-foot theater sits on a 10,396-square foot parcel at 3588 Wai‘alae Ave.

For sale: Queen Theater in Kaimukī

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property on Hawai‘i Island’s Kohala Coast, has unveiled a new $180 million-plus renovation it says is the “most extensive transformation in the property’s 60-year history.”

The renovation, which spans both the hotel’s Main Tower and Beachfront Wing, includes 252 “fully reimagined” guest rooms and suites, along with a refreshed family resort pool with a new oceanfront hot tub and five private cabanas, a recent announcement noted.

Additions throughout both wings include handcrafted textiles, ceiling fans and plantation shutters, bedside lighting control panels, glass lānai doors, bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and more.

There’s also a new oceanfront wellness retreat with a state-of-the-art, 2,500-square-foot fitness center and an adults-only infinity lap pool along with refreshed public spaces with a curated gallery from the Rockefeller Art Collection.

According to the hotel, photovoltaic solar panels that supply about 45% of the resort’s overall electrical energy needs have also been added.

Other enhancements include the redesign of the Mauna Kea Golf Course by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the opening of the 28,000-square-foot 

, upgraded in-room amenities, and updates to the hotel’s restaurants, the announcement notes.

, for example, is a “re-concepting” of the resort’s beachfront dining venue, the announcement notes. Its lunch menu will include items like salads, burgers and Baja-style fish tacos, and evenings will feature contemporary regional Mexican dishes.

 restaurant also received a “refresh and introduced a new hyper garden-to-table menu” the hotels says is centered on local and seasonal ingredients that come from Big Island farmers, fishermen, ranchers and the resort’s new ‘Ulu Garden.

And coming this spring is The Spa at Mauna Kea, which will offer 11 treatment rooms, purification gardens, steam and sauna facilities, a pool and more.

“This renovation was always part of our long-term vision for Mauna Kea Beach Hotel,” hotel manager Kansas Henderson said in a statement provided to ASD. “Plans for the transformation were already underway prior to the [Covid-19] pandemic, and while it understandably paused our timeline, it did not pause our commitment. 

“As travel resumed around the globe, ownership recognized it was the right time to bring this long-planned vision to life, honoring our responsibility to preserve the hotel’s historic legacy and its culturally significant art collection while delivering the elevated and unforgettable experience today’s guests expect. The timing ultimately reflects both commitment and responsibility, ensuring Mauna Kea continues to create lasting memories for generations to come.”

Henderson says that on average, the hotel hosts approximately 25,000 visitors each year.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel opened with 154 rooms in July 1965.

“It was while swimming in the turquoise waters of Kauna‘oa Bay, surrounded by a vast landscape of lava rock and ranchland with clear views of Maunakea’s summit, that American conservationist and venture capitalist Laurance S. Rockefeller decided to build Hawai‘i Island’s first resort,” a history on the 

. “His inspiration to capture the spirit of this special place and ensure the hotel conformed to, rather than intruded upon, these beautiful natural surroundings, became today’s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

Its $15 million build-out made the hotel the most expensive hotel ever built at the time, the site states. Room rates started at $43 per night and included breakfast and dinner. The hotel expanded in 1968 with the Beachfront Wing and has undergone other renovations over the years.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel shares 1,839 oceanfront acres with The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort and Mauna Kea Residences, which together form the Mauna Kea Resort.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel 1

<title>Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M renovation</title>

The hotel says this is the “most extensive transformation in the property’s 60-year history.”

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M renovation

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha State Daily rounded up a list of 26 New Year’s Eve events on Oʻahu so you can ring in 2026 in style. From live music presented by Hawaiʻi’s Finest at Wai Kai in ʻEwa Beach to three rooms of parties at Kapono’s at The Lounge in Hawaiʻi Kai, there are options to dance, sing, eat and drink as the new year — and you — slides into focus. ASD rounded up activities by neighborhood:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"KO OLINA"}]

Four Seasons Resort, Oʻahu at Ko Olina. 

Mina’s Fish House, Manalo Lounge and Noe are offering dining experiences for New Year’s Eve. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"ʻEWA BEACH"}]

Wai Kai x Hawaiʻi’s Finest (ʻEwa Beach). 

The party is open to all ages and includes live music and fireworks at midnight, as well as opportunities to sign up for night surfing. Hawaiʻi’s Finest will present entertainment on the surfside lawn, which will have free seating open to the public and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for a VIP experience at The Lookout are also available for $100 per person. Check the website for the list of items not allowed at Wai Kai. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"MILILANI"}]

Start the party early at the Town Center of Mililani with the Noon Year’s Eve Pineapple Drop. The event features headliner 

, as well as haka and Tahitian dance performances, lion dances, and taiko drumming. Performances start at 10 a.m. and run until the pineapple drop at noon. Free. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"CHINATOWN"}]

Party with three DJs and two dance floors with a drag show that starts at 9 p.m. The event includes performances by Omnia Nova, Princess, Kelly Price, Apple Aday and Sardonyx Del Rey. Bottle service is available. Tables can also be reserved at 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"DOWNTOWN HONOLULU"}]

Live music, cocktails and tasty late night bites are part of this New Year’s Eve celebration. Riya Davis, a vocalist and saxophonist, will perform from 10:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Tickets are $125 and include live music cover charge, snacks, party favors and a drink. 

“Dress to dazzle” and celebrate with the Gatsby New Year’s Eve Gala

. Tickets include live music and DJ sets and a champagne toast. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. There is also a Whiskey VIP Room experience available for up to 12 people. Tickets start at $71.21. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"ALA MOANA"}]

Minutes from Waikīkī, The District is presenting Silver and Stars NYE 2026. The dress code is “New Year’s Eve festive.” There will be DJs, a 36-foot LED video wall, lasers and CO2 cryo cannons. Tickets start at $40 for general admission, which includes drink tickets, and $70 for VIP admission, which includes drink tickets, champagne welcome drinks, snacks, and party favors, plus an exclusive champagne room with a dedicated DJ. The event starts at 8 p.m. and runs until 4 a.m. 

Bad Decisions Ball features special guest DJ Hector Fonseca. There will be a champagne toast at midnight. The guest list is free until 10:30 p.m. The event runs from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. 

Celebrate Bye Bye 25 at Swell Restaurant and Pool Bar with beats by DJ Compose and DJ Mau and a ball drop illuminated on the Beachside Tower. Individual entry, which includes a signature welcome cocktail and a champagne toast at midnight is $40, if purchased in advance, and $50 at the door. A private luxury cabana for eight people, which includes bottle service with Grey Goose Vodka and Devant Brut Champagne along with charcuterie boards and New Years Eve swag and complimentary self-parking for one vehicle, is $750. 

The Honolulu New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl 2026, hosted by the national group 

, offers a digital map to spots across town, a celebratory champagne toast, beats from live DJs, drink specials and free entry to participating bars. Check-in runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and there will be an exclusive after-party event. Tickets are $30.65, if purchased in advance, with group discounts for parties of four or more. 

 This event, called “Fiesta into 2026” offers margaritas, tacos, fireworks and a rooftop celebration. Early dinner service, a NYE happy hour and VIP tables and bottle service are available. The live DJ starts at 7 p.m. Presale tickets at $40. Fast passes are $90. 

Cruise for fireworks (ocean views of Waikīkī). 

Star of Honolulu, a sunset dinner cruise, serves up views of Waikīkī timed to include the fireworks show. There will also be light pūpūs, party favors and a midnight toast. 

 Some other groups offering New Year’s Eve experiences on the water include the 

 catamarans (tours depart from Kewalo Basin or Waikīkī) and 

Halekūlani on the Beach at Waikīkī (Waikīkī).

 Say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026 with a chic afternoon at The Veranda, a rosé and caviar lounge. Book the 

 ($155 per ticket). There will also be a 

New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at Orchids/La Mer

Make reservations for New Year’s Eve meals at Grand Lānai restaurants at International Market Place, including Crackin’ Kitchen, Eating House 1949, Herringbone, Moani Waikīkī Island Bistro & Bar, Shorefyre, Skybox Taphouse and Stripsteak Waikīkī. 

Shorefyre's Fire by Night Gatsby Party (International Market Place, Waikīkī). 

Dance the night away with DJ Al Grande, DJ Caldee and DJ Deuxces in this Gatsby-themed event which starts at 9 p.m., after regular dinner service. Festive 1920s attire recommended but not required. VIP service is available. 

Skybox Taphouse (International Market Place, Waikīkī). 

Sing in the New Year at this spot, which is hosting a karaoke party. Pizza and cocktails are available. 

Enjoy a rooftop experience at the “High Resolution – New Year, New Heights” party with skyline views, DJs and a coundtown until midnight at Sky Waikīkī. The music will be provided by DJ Compose and DJ Jem. Dress to impress. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Tickets start at $60. 

NYE Paradise Bloom is a rooftop party, presented by House of Art Entertainment, with immersive decor, live performances and a complimentary glass of welcome champagne, plus a midnight toast. The event will include a live jazz band, acrobatic performances, DJs, live fire shows, and more. 

The Laylow Waikīkī, Autograph Collection (Waikīkī). 

DJ J.Esco will provide the music for Drip: A New Year’s Eve Celebration. Dress code is “dressed to impress.” General admission tickets, which includes party favors, appetizers from 10 p.m. to midnight and a champange toast at midnight are $85 pre-sale or $105 at the door. VIP tables, which include bottle service, reserved areas and a charcuterie board, start at $800. 

The Royal Hawaiian Resort, Waikīkī (Waikīkī). 

Celebrate fresh starts with a five-course dinner at Azure at The Royal Hawaiian Resort, Waikīkī.

Seatings begin at 6 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. ($275+. Wine pairings are $75+). There is also a New Year’s Eve lūʻau dinner show, which includes a three-course meal ($397+ for adults with tiered pricing for keiki). The resort will also host “Dreaming in Pink” with live DJ entertainment, handcrafted cocktails, oceanfront fireworks and views of Diamond Head on the lawn and in the nearby Monarch Room ($100 for adults and $50 for keiki). 

Enjoy a DJ and dancing, party favors, a midnight toast and views of the stars and fireworks from this spot with ocean views. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Buy tickets for just the party, a four-course NYE dinner with entrance to the party, or a VIP package. 

Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach (Waikīkī). 

Glitter & Good Cheer is the focus of this party at Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach. The event will also be a celebration of the resort’s 125th birthday. The party will host three different NYE experiences: Cabana Suite, VIP Terrace, and Diamond & Pearls Party. The Cabana Suite includes an oceanfront celebration with access to a decorated pool deck from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. It includes premium pūpū platters, two bottles of Devant Brut Champagne (NV and Rosé), DJ entertainment and complimentary parking for up to six guests. The VIP Terrace includes a private lounge with bottle service tables and premium pūpū platters, plus two bottles (Taittinger Brut Champagne and Pau Vodka), DJ entertainment, and complimentary parking for up to six guests. The Diamonds & Pearls Party on the Diamond Lawn includes a gourmet dinner buffet, a no-host bar, a photo booth, tarot card reading, adult face painting and a champagne toast at midnight. 

Hawaiian Council is presenting this event featuring comedian Pashyn Santos, along with hula and mele from Nā Lei Aloha at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa. The evening starts at 9:30 p.m. with a DJ set. Performances, including stand-up comedy from Santos, fire knife dancing, mele and hula. There will be fireworks and a champagne toast. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. 

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This dance school is celebrating the new year Vegas style! There will be tango, casino games, champagne and “nonstop sparkle,” according to event organizers. Activities start with a dance class, Tango 101 for Beginners, at 8:30 p.m. and then from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. there is a tango dance party with traditional and new music. There will also be a casino games room with roulette, craps, poker and blackjack. Tickets are $60, if purchased early, and $75 at the door. 

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The Kāhala Hotel & Resort (Kāhala). The Dom Pérignon New Years Eve Celebration includes fire knife dancing and a drone show. Tickets include access to premium poolside views of activities, plus live music and a Dom Pérignon champagne toast. The event runs from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Dress code is resort casual. Guests must be at least 21 years old. Tickets are $105.63. 

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Kapono’s at The Lounge: New Year’s Eve on the Marina (Hawaiʻi Kai). 

, who has won more than 20 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, recently partnered with the Henry Kapono Foundation and The Lounge at Island Sound Studios on 

, which will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, starting Jan. 9. Kapono’s at the Lounge includes three performance spaces —The Lounge, The Velvet Monkey and Studio B — and will host debut performances featuring Kapono, Tavana and Ambrose

Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year! Looking to ring in 2026 on Oʻahu? Here are 26 events, listed by neighborhood, happening between ʻEwa Beach and Hawaiʻi Kai.

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Hawaiʻi Skies: Aloha Friday

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain = rainbows

Hawaiʻi Skies: Legendary sunsets

Hawaiʻi Skies: In the moment

Hawaiʻi Skies: A bright and complete rainbow

Most read