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
Juneteenth, Father’s Day, and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend
Ready to make plans for Juneteenth and Father’s Day? From live music at a botanical garden to free entry at a local museum and a movie screening that stars an actor who calls Kakaʻako home, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. Make your plans now for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Katie HellandJune 17, 2026

Tickets still on sale for Goodwill Goes Glam!
Sip, shop and watch a fashion show produced by Valerie Joseph at the 15th annual Goodwill Goes Glam! — Goodwill Hawaiʻi’s signature fundraiser set for July 16 to 18 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. All proceeds stay in the Islands to help bolster the nonprofit’s workforce development programs.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 17, 2026

Waimānalo Country Farms is open for its summer season
The farm’s sunflower fields usually open during mid-May, but this season started later due to the Kona Low storms in March. Waimānalo Country Farms will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until the beginning of July.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaJune 17, 2026

UPDATE: Hawaiʻi contestant gets golden buzzer on ʻAmerica’s Got Talent’
This Army sergeant got his musical break when he recorded himself singing in a car. Now, Oʻahu resident Isaac Atkins is reflecting on the “America’s Got Talent” auditions that recently took him to California.
Katie HellandJune 16, 2026

Your guide to Father’s Day 2026: laugh, eat, fish
Ready to make Father’s Day plans? From fishing to eating, Aloha State Daily has your guide for how to celebrate on Oʻahu.
Katie HellandJune 13, 2026

High Watah, Three Plus headline first public late night event at Limelight Hawaiʻi
Keldin Calairo-Nakagawa, the lead singer of High Watah, reflects on a new performance venue on Oʻahu, which opens to the public on Saturday, June 13. The space will offer late night entertainment and is an approximately $15 million investment from Roberts Hawaiʻi.
Katie HellandJune 12, 2026

Dancer in diaspora brings art home to Oʻahu
Wehiwehi is an artist residency program that is bringing six Kanaka Maoli artists from Hawaiʻi and the Mainland together to collaborate on hula, mele, modern dance, theater and more. These artists will share their work in showcases at Shangri La and the Bishop Museum in June. Kealoha Ferreira is one of the artists living in the diaspora, who will return to Oʻahu this month to participate in the program.
Katie HellandJune 12, 2026

Pipikaula Corner: Aloha, Stadium!
ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier bids a personal, Gen X farewell to Aloha Stadium after watching some of the demolition firsthand. Anyone else remember The Police playing in ’84? This column is for you!
A. Kam NapierJune 11, 2026

Pan-Pacific Festival returns to Waikīkī
Bishop Shuji Komagata reflects on Hawaiʻi Matsuri Taiko’s mores than 30 years of performances at the Pan-Pacific Festival, a three-day event happening on Oʻahu this weekend.
Katie HellandJune 11, 2026

Award-winning food and travel series stops in Hawaiʻi
Chef Mark “Gooch” Noguchi, co-founder of nonprofit Chef Hui; pro surfer Nathan Florence; and Haleʻiwa-based musician Jack Johnson, who also runs the Kōkua Learning Farm through Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation; among others, showcased Hawaiʻi cuisine, culture and community on Huckberry’s series, “DIRT,” hosted by Josh Rosen. The episode, which culminates with a meal at the North Shore learning farm, dropped on May 28 and has garnered thousands of views already.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 11, 2026

King Kamehameha Day, High Watah and hula: your guide to the weekend
Ready to plan the weekend? Don’t miss contests for mele, hula and mango recipes. There will be King Kamehameha Day celebrations, a Mele Conference & Hula Festival and the opening late-night event for Limelight Hawaiʻi, which will feature performances from High Watah and Three Plus.
Katie HellandJune 10, 2026

Hawaiʻi 4-H livestock events teach youth real-life skills
Local youth from across the state have started showcasing their business and leadership skills after months of caring for steers and heifers, goats, pigs, poultry, and more, while learning how to sell them to buyers. Representatives for The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience share with Aloha State Daily more about how Hawaiʻi 4-H livestock programs are preparing students for work, as well as what to expect at the free community events this summer.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 08, 2026