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
HoMA announces new director and CEO
The Honolulu Museum of Art has announced its next director and CEO, who will assume the role on Sept. 1. Learn more about the executive, who grew up in Kailua.
Katie HellandJuly 09, 2026
Anna O’Brien’s under new management
Learn what will and won't change as this Irish pub — not far from the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa — soft opens under new management on Friday, July 10.
Katie HellandJuly 09, 2026
Disney’s live action 'Moana' sails into theaters and more: Oʻahu weekend guide
Ready to make weekend plans? Catch Disney’s live action version of “Moana,” which opens in theaters on Friday, July 10. The Honolulu Surf Film Festival, the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and the International ʻUkulele Festival of Hawaiʻi will also be happening this weekend on Oʻahu.
Katie HellandJuly 08, 2026
New law gives extra tax credit to film productions with local hires
Gov. Josh Green signed legislation Monday that will increase tax credits for movies and series filmed on the Islands if they include mostly local hires.
Katie HellandJuly 07, 2026
Sharing the Spirit of America heads to all 50 states
The birth of the United States started with the Declaration of Independence. Now, 250 years later, people will read the historic document in all 50 states, five territories and the Minor Outlying Islands, as well as across the world, through this initiative with Hawaiʻi America250.
Katie HellandJuly 03, 2026
Food and fireworks: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu
From a patriotic sing-along to a new happy hour, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. Get your calendar ready to make plans for this weekend!
Katie HellandJuly 02, 2026
25 things to do on Oʻahu to celebrate the semiquincentennial
Looking for ways to celebrate 250 years of the U.S. being a nation? Aloha State Daily has compiled a list of events — including firework shows — happening for the semiquincentennial. From ʻEwa Beach to Waimānalo, here are some of the events happening across the Island this weekend.
Katie HellandJuly 01, 2026
How to celebrate July 4 on Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island
Looking for ways to celebrate the semiquincentennial of the U.S. becoming a nation this long week weekend? Aloha State Daily has you covered. From poolside barbecues to a chili cook-off, which will be judged by Lahaina firefighters, to a helicopter flower drop at the Flowerworks Festival, there are lots of events happening across the Neighbor Islands.
Katie HellandJuly 01, 2026
ʻDivine disruption’ at heart of HoMA exhibit
This new exhibit by Tsherin Sherpa at the Honolulu Museum of Art features deities in unconventional poses and places. It tackles tough issues, such as displacement and immigration, and will be on display through January 2027.
Katie HellandJune 30, 2026
Music video filmed at Hanalei Bay gets world premiere in Hollywood
Actress turned filmmaker Carolina Espiro created a music video for four-time Grammy Award winner Kalani Peʻa’s song “Hanalei I Ka Pilimoe.” Shot entirely by moonlight at Hanalei Bay, its world premiere debuted on Friday, June 26, at Dances with Films Festival in Hollywood, California.
Katie HellandJune 27, 2026
Kumu Hula Kalani Viloria heads hālau in California
Since 2023, Kumu Hula Kalani Viloria and wife Hiwa Gacutan-Viloria have operated Kapiliwaiokeao, a hālau in Southern California that offers traditional and contemporary hula classes to haumāna (students) ages 3 and older. Viloria shares more about his upbringing in dance and the Hawaiian culture, the hālau’s evolution and recent hōʻike, future goals, and more.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 26, 2026
New mural unveiling on Kauaʻi this Saturday
The Garden Island has new art, which will be unveiled to the public this weekend. The project is a collaboration between Common Ground Kauaʻi, a 63-acre regenerative farm, and Capitol Modern. The project involves 11 artists, including many who call Kauaʻi home.
Katie HellandJune 26, 2026