Festival Program

Click here to see the Festival's Event Schedule

Festival events and locations are subject to change. Any changes will be posted here as they become available.

Thursday and Friday Kanikapila

Thursday's kanikapila will be entertainment by festival musicians. Friday's kanikapila will be open to the public where you can bring your instrument and play along with festival musicians or just come and enjoy the music. If your instrument requires amplification bring along a battery-powered amplifier.

• Thursday, 5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. at the Canoe House
• Friday, 8:30 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. in the Hale Ho‘Aloha Pavilion

Friday Festival Ho‘olaule‘a Pageant — Hale Ho‘Aloha Pavilion

Friday's ho‘olaule‘a will begin at 4:00 P.M. and will feature eight steel guitar masters in separate programs for your enjoyment. The emcee will be Kimo Kahoano. The ho‘olaule‘a will be livestreamed.

Featured Steel Guitarists

This year's featured steel guitarists include Pomai Brown, Elmer "Sonny" Lim, Greg Sardinha, Ed Punua, Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz, Dwight Tokumoto, Bobby Ingano, and Alan Akaka.

4:00 PM	Pomai Brown
4:30 PM	Sonny Lim
5:00 PM	Greg Sardinha
5:30 PM	Ed Punua
6:00 PM	Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz
6:30 PM	Dwight Tokumoto
7:00 PM	Bobby Ingano
7:30 PM	Alan Akaka

Workshop — North Lanai/Hale I‘ike

A "Learn to Play" workshop and an open talk story will be conducted on Saturday morning beginning at 9 A.M. in the North Lanai area.

Open Stage Entertainment — Surf Shack Deck and Lawn

Saturday Open stage sessions are scheduled to begin at 11:30 A.M. and will feature guest artists and performers. These 30-minute playing sessions will showcase steel guitarists and Hawaiian music groups from all over the world.

11:30 AM	Daniel Toft
12:00 PM	Al Greene, Jr.
12:30 PM	Barbara Bones
1:00 PM	Vickie Van Fechtmann
1:30 PM	Lauri Kalli
2:00 PM	NextGen Steel Guitarists

Saturday Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a — Eva Parker Woods Cottage

Each month during the full moon, music lovers bring blankets and folding chairs to the oceanfront lawn at the Eva Parker Woods Cottage. Musicians gather on the lanai (porch) to talk story and play their favorite tunes. The stage is humble but the talent is world-class. For over two decades, the Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a concert series has served as a Who's Who of Hawaiian music.

The festival's Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a program will be hosted by Kahu Hanai Danny Akaka, Jr. The program includes steel guitar talk story and performances by your favorite steel guitar artists including Greg Sardinha, Ed Punua, Geri Valdriz, and Bobby Ingano. Alan Akaka and Danny Akaka, Jr. will close the program.

NextGen Steel Guitarists

NextGen (Next Generation) Steel Guitar students of Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music will perform for festival attendees' enjoyment.

• Ethan Goore
• Enosa Lyman
• Tai Misailidis

Sunday Breakfast Entertainment — HāLani Restaurant Lawn

Guests of the Mauna Lani's Sunday brfeakfast at the HāLani Restaurant will enjoy music from a kanikapila-stype jam session by participating steel guitar masters and other musicians.

Steel Guitar Exhibit — North Lanai/Hale I‘ike (Saturday 10:00 AM - 4 PM)

An exhibit featuring vintage and contemporary lap steel guitars will be presented at the North Lanai/Hale I‘ike. The instruments are from the instrument collections of Hawai‘i-based steel guitarists appearing at the festival. Come and see this wide assortment of steel guitars on Saturday.

Steel Guitar Hands-On Opportunities — Surf Shack (Friday and Saturday at various times)

Festival guests will be offered hands-on opportunities to experience the steel guitar under the guidance of a steel guitar expert.

Festival Information and Sales - North Lanai/Hale I‘ike

Sales and information tables wil be set up in the North Lanai/Hale I‘ike area. Festival merchandise including publications, Hawaiian music CDs, and steel guitar accessories will be available for purchase. Note: Due to supply chain issues, festival t-shirts will not be available for sale. Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival t-shirts will instead be available for purchase at the 2023 Kona Steel Guitar Festival.

For the convenience of festival guests, sales and information tables will be temporarily set up in the Hale Ho‘Aloha Pavilion during Friday night's ho‘olaule‘a concert.

• Friday, 11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. at North Lanai/Hale I‘ike
• Friday, 4:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. in the Hale Ho‘Aloha Pavilion
• Saturday, 10 A.M. — 3:00 P.M. at North Lanai/Hale I‘ike

The Festival Poster

Festival Archives

The Festival Archives contains program information from previous festivals.

• The 2020 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival – Festival canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
• The 2019 Special Edition Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
• The 2018 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
• The 2017 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival