Festival Information

The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival is presented by the Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE) and the Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music. The festival brings together legendary steel guitarists for a celebration of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar. This free, 3-day festival includes a series of performances, presentations, instructional workshops, jam sessions and public and private school visitations that are focused on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar and its importance in the Hawaiian music genre.

The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival at the Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection is one of a series of annual Hawaiian Steel Guitar festivals and other events produced by the Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE) and its partners.

• The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festivals are community-based festivals produced by HIMELE on O‘ahu.
  • The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i at Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center in February-March
  • The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall at Windward Mall Shopping Center in June
  • The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival Keiki Kine at Kahala Mall at Kahala Mall Shopping Center in August
• The Kona Steel Guitar Festival at Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa, Keauhou, Hawai‘i, preceding the Aloha Music Camp in April
• The Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival at Sheraton Kaua‘i Coconut Beach Resort and Kukui Grove Center in May
• The Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center in July
• The Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week (incorporating the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival and the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival) at Royal Grove Stage, Royal Hawaiian Center in July
• The Maui Steel Guitar Festival at The Shops at Wailea and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center on Maui in October.
• The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani (incorporating the Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival) at Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection on Hawai‘i Island in November-December
• The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase - monthly livestreamed Hawaiian steel guitar presentations (including livestreamed festival ho‘olaule‘a concerts) on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase Facebook Page and YouTube Channel

All festivals are presented to increase awareness and foster interest in the Hawaiian Steel Guitar, an instrument important to Hawaiian music and culture. All these festivals are free and open to the public and made possible through grant awards and donations from Hawai‘i State agencies, corporate sponsors and private individuals, supplemented by in-kind contributions and volunteer resources. Please visit HIMELE's website to see how you can help support our festivals.

The 2022 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience

The 2022 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022 through Sunday, December 11, 2022, at the Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection. The Mauna Lani is located along the Kohala Coast of Hawai‘I Island, near Kona.

The 2022 Experience will include the following:

• Boutique performances throughout the days at various resort venues including the Canoe House, Surf Shack, Makai Lawn, and HāLani Restaurant
• A Thursday twilight kanikapila or performaces at the Canoe House restaurant
• A Friday evening ho‘olaule‘a concert in the Hale Ho‘Aloha Pavilion
• A Saturday workshop
• Saturday Open Stage performances
• Saturday evening Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a concert
• Sunday morning entertainment at HāLani Restaurant lawn

The Friday Ho‘olaule‘a will be livestreamed on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase Facebook page and YouTube Channel as a part of the Festival Sowcases series.

The festival will also include a steel guitar exhibit and a hands-on demonstration where festival guests can learn more about the Hawaiian steel guitar and try out the instrument under the guidance of steel guitar experts.

A public "kanikapila" jam session will be held on Friday night. The jam session is open to anyone. Anyone is invited to participate and play along with the featured players and festival guest musicians. Kanikapila participants are advised to bring their own instruments, battery-operated amplifiers and music stands if required. Please check the event schedule for the location of the kanikapila.

Open Stage sessions will be presented on Saturday. These sessions will feature steel guitar players in half-hour performances.

Festival T-shirts, CDs, and steel guitar accessories will be available for purchase at the festival information and sales tables.

Surveys will be administered at various times during the festival to gauge festival guest experiences and assist with future festival planning. Please help us improve your festival by filling out and returning the survey. Please—one survey ONLY per festival guest!

Festival Information From Previous Festivals

• The 2020 Festival - Festival Info – Festival canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
• The 2019 Special Edition Festival - Festival Info
• The 2018 Festival - Festival Info
• The 2017 Festival - Festival Info