Next: 4 to 10 Apr 2027
Merrie Monarch Festival
Hawaii's week of hula in Hilo, a competition of kahiko and auana dance which honours King Kalakaua.
When is Merrie Monarch Festival in 2027?
Merrie Monarch Festival 2027 runs from 4 to 10 April 2027. Other years: 2026, 12 to 18 April 2026; 2028, 23 to 29 April 2028.
About Merrie Monarch Festival
The Merrie Monarch Festival is held the week after Easter in Hilo, on the island of Hawaii. It honours King David Kalakaua, "the Merrie Monarch", who in the late nineteenth century helped revive the hula and other Hawaiian arts after years of suppression. The festival is regarded as the world's most prestigious hula competition. Halau, schools of hula, from Hawaii and beyond send dancers to compete in kahiko, ancient style, with chant and percussion instruments, and auana, modern hula, with song and string instruments. The festival includes a Hawaiian arts fair, a parade with floats and riders in pa'u dress on horseback, and a concert. The dancers are also judged on their lei, their costume, and the poetry of the chants. Tickets are in great demand.
Merrie Monarch Festival dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Merrie Monarch Festival date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 to 18 April 2026 |
| 2027 | 4 to 10 April 2027 |
| 2028 | 23 to 29 April 2028 |
What is eaten
- poi
- kalua pig
- lau lau
- haupia
Also part of it, and being written: Hula (The dance.), Kalakaua (The king honoured.), Lei (The garland of flowers.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Merrie Monarch Festival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.