Arts & Entertainment
Meet the artists and craftspeople keeping Hawai‘i traditions alive
Hawai‘i is filled with talented, passionate artists and performers. In recent months we’ve featured an ‘ukulele maker, sculptors, hula performers, Native Hawaiian language experts, anime cosplayers, symphony musicians, local filmmakers, Okinawan drummers, musical theatre performers, and more. We’ve covered film festivals, comedy acts, live theater and classical concerts and more. This is where you’ll also find news about TV shows and movies filmed in the Islands or about Hawai‘i, and the actors attached to them. Venues matter, too, and we’ll update readers on improvements such as the recent upgrades to the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Waikīkī Shell.
News
Chinatown 808's Mid-Autumn Festival returns
Also known as the Moon Festival, Chinatown 808’s Annual Mid-Autumn Festival includes a parade, lantern-making contest, and more than 30 food or craft vendors, plus activities for keiki and live entertainment. The festival is an opportunity to celebrate the moon and exchange wishes for good fortune.
Katie HellandSeptember 12, 2026
‘The Paper’ launches second season
Co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman and star Domhnall Gleeson spoke with Aloha State Daily about “The Paper,” a spinoff of the wildly popular sitcom “The Office.” The Peacock series, which has a Hawai'i-born executive producer, launched Season 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The mockumentary captures the struggles of a Midwestern paper and the people who break news.
Katie HellandSeptember 11, 2026
Pro-Surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb rides the wild surf in new doc shot at Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Tahiti and Beyond
“A Marble in the Jar” debuts on 10 screens across the Mainland this Friday. The doc includes eye-popping, jaw-dropping camerawork above the pounders and underwater, as Weston-Webb rides the waves from Hawai‘i to French Polynesia to Australia to Bali to Mexico to France to Portugal to California and beyond on the pro-surfer circuit, in search of championships and the ideal tube.
Ed RampellSeptember 09, 2026
Megabon, music, and more: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu
Lots to choose from among O‘ahu events this weekend, from Megabon to the chance to eat Okinawan food, including andagi, at local restaurants. Here are some of the events happening this Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 13.
Katie HellandSeptember 08, 2026
HIFF announces first wave of festival films
Catch the Hawaiʻi premiere of “Drifter” and the world premiere of “Protecting Kahoʻolawe: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina” or “Making the Line,” among other films reaching new audiences for the first time at the upcoming Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. The first wave of films, which includes 15 titles, has been announced.
Katie HellandSeptember 08, 2026
‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ’ band back for stop in Honolulu journey
ʻHold on to that feelin’ ’— the legendary rock band Journey is heading to the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena one more time, Saturday, Sept. 5, Sunday, Sept. 6, and Tuesday, Sept. 8, for its “Final Frontier Tour 2026."
Katie HellandSeptember 06, 2026
Slack Key guitar sings at Waikīkī festival
The 44th Annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival - Waikīkī Style just wrapped up last weekend. The slack key guitar festivals started in honor of the legendary Gabby Pahinui already made stops on Maui and Oʻahu this year. The next stop? Hawaiʻi Island.
Katie HellandSeptember 04, 2026
Playwright seeks help with cancer battle
She wrote plays like “Talk-Story,” “Banyan,” “Walls” and “Buffaloʻed.” Now, this playwright — who lives in Hilo and has created more than 80 plays — needs help battling cancer bills.
Katie HellandSeptember 03, 2026
Catch Journey, football, and more: your guide to the weekend
Ready to make plans for Labor Day weekend? Aloha State Daily has you covered. From live performances from the legendary rock band Journey to catching the Rainbow Warriors at their first home football game, here are some of the events happening on Oʻahu this weekend.
Katie HellandSeptember 02, 2026
Dolly Parton in Hawaiʻi: Photos from the Hawaiʻi State Archives
Dolly Parton, who died last week, has a number of ties to the Islands, where she once operated a restaurant and owned a home. Staff at the Hawaiʻi State Archives found some historical photos of her time on Oʻahu to share with Aloha State Daily readers.
Katie HellandSeptember 01, 2026
Catch Hawaiʻi-made films on the big screen at Consolidated Theatres
Films featuring Hawaiʻi directors and actors will be at movie theaters across Oʻahu starting in September. Catch the new series, curated by the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, every other Wednesday.
Katie HellandAugust 29, 2026
44th annual Okinawan Festival is coming in September
This year’s festival features a modified format, due to renovations at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. There will be no bon dance or early admission, but new this year is Prince Waikīkī’s House of Sakura pop-up that will include Okinawan-inspired dishes.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 28, 2026
New drink collaboration to make you say, Das' how
Comedian Tumua Tuinei talks about the coffee that kept him going when he started his career doing stand-up at Blue Note Hawaiʻi. Now, Honolulu Coffee Co. has created a drink inspired by his current national tour, “Dasʻ How,” which has stops on Maui and Kauaʻi next month.
Katie HellandAugust 28, 2026
Slack key guitar, a Powwow and more: your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu
Catch slack key guitar under the stars at a festival that benefits the Waikīkī Aquarium or go bananas with an event themed around a popular tropical fruit. Looking for plans for this Friday, Aug. 28, through Sunday, Aug. 30? Aloha State Daily is sharing some ways to celebrate the weekend.
Katie HellandAugust 26, 2026
Hawaiʻi remembers Dolly Parton and ʻMy Hawaiʻiʻ
The singer, songwriter and actress with Appalachia roots had a career that spanned seven decades. She also had a special love for Hawaiʻi, where she once owned a home, operated a restaurant, and performed.
Katie HellandAugust 26, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: Kumu Hula Pattye Wright to participate in Aloha Festivals Floral Parade
Wright, 91, founder of Nā Puakea o Koʻolaupoko in Kailua, is keeping busy teaching seven weekly classes across the globe, while volunteering at church. Come September, this will be the hālau's fourth year entering a float in the parade, which allows them to share their culture with spectators and grow closer with one another, says Shiori Kaʻimilani Koehler, another kumu for the hālau.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiAugust 25, 2026
Kani Ka Pila Grille Talent Search names winner
This talent search had finalists perform at the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival. Learn which groups performed and who won a paid contract at Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort.
Katie HellandAugust 25, 2026
Hawaiian martial arts master inaugurates “Warrior Women” exhibit at L.A. Museum
Michelle Manu presides over new exhibition paying tribute to female protectors, defenders and combatants at world’s only museum honoring international self-defense disciplines, including ancient Hawai‘i’s lua. She resides in California but returns to the Islands next month to lead a women's retreat on Hawai‘i Island.
Ed RampellAugust 25, 2026
Vote to keep Oʻahu contestants on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Three singers with ties to the Islands are quarterfinalists on “America’s Got Talent.” You can help them advance. Learn more about their music and when they will take the stage.
Katie HellandAugust 24, 2026
Best of Hawai‘i Mākeke offers more ways to shop local
The three-day mākeke, presented by Hawai‘i's Finest, returns to the Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall this weekend with more than 300 local businesses.
Stephanie SalmonsAugust 21, 2026
For Kaua’i pet biz: Anything is paw-sible
This Garden Isle entrepreneur will have five suitcases of alohawear for pets at the Made in Hawai’i Festival this weekend. Learn about the dog that inspired the designs, which are love at fur-st sight for some shoppers.
Katie HellandAugust 21, 2026
Waiākea High School student wants to bring symphony to Hilo
Keira Ida Ayu, who is a high school senior, is raising funds to bring the state orchestra, Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, to her hometown of Hilo. A musician herself, she wants keiki who call Hawaiʻi Island home to have a chance to experience symphonic music without getting on a plane. Here's how you can help.
Katie HellandAugust 21, 2026
Moses Goods brings one-man show 'Duke' to Waikīkī
This one-night-only show at Blue Note Hawaiʻi will then move to Neighbor Islands, including a premiere on Kauaʻi and in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. The actor, movie star and cultural practitioner shares his inspiration for the story and how he gets into character.
Katie HellandAugust 20, 2026
Duke’s Ocean Fest, Perry & the Posse Show, Made in Hawaiʻi and more: What to do on Oʻahu this weekend
Watch surfboard water polo, listen to live music or shop more than 800 local vendors at the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival this weekend. Ready to make plans? Here are 10 things you can do on Oʻahu this Friday, Aug. 21, through Sunday, Aug. 23.
Katie HellandAugust 19, 2026