The prestigious Merrie Monarch Festival wrapped up competition this weekend in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. Like every year, the hula and mele were incredible. Jaedyn Janae Puahualani Pavao took home the title of Miss Aloha Hula 2025 on Thursday night at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium. Pavao is a student and niece of Kumu Hula Leināʻala […]
Referred to as the Olympics of hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival is one of the biggest events in Hawaiʻi. The 62nd annual Merrie Monarch Festival kicks off this week in Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, which features three consecutive days of competition: The Miss Aloha Hula competition on April 24, the kahiko division on April 25 and
Hawai’i offers a delightful variety of opportunities for displays of culture, creativity, and community. Whether you’re a Hawai’i resident or a visitor to the Islands, these festivals showcasing culture and food are worth putting on your calendar. For more of the latest activities and festivals in Hawaiʻi, check out HAWAIʻI Magazine’s calendar page. All the
Starting this week tickets to attend the 62nd annual Merrie Monarch Festival in April 2025 are available—but they’re going fast. In order to snag these coveted tickets, you’ll have to mail in a ticket request form with a cashier’s check or money order, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Once organizers receive the request form
Aloha wear has long been a symbol of Hawai‘i’s cultural heritage and the upcoming exhibit “Fashioning Aloha” at the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), opening on April 12, takes viewers on a deep dive through nearly 90 years of aloha wear, showcasing 53 garments including holoku, mu‘umu‘u, holomu‘u and aloha shirts. The exhibit takes the
While hula is the main attraction at the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, the gorgeous flowers used in lei and other adornment are show-shoppers, too. Many of these flowers are native to the Islands and have cultural significance to Native Hawaiians. Here are some flowers you might see on stage this year. Read More: 6 Iconic Tropical
The 61st annual Merrie Monarch Festival runs from March 31 to April 6, with the competition held at the Edith Kanakaʻole Multipurpose Stadium in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. One of the largest events of the year, the festival features three straight days of competition—the Miss Aloha Hula competition on April 4, the kahiko division on
It was a fantastic weekend of hula on Hawaiʻi Island. The 60th Merrie Monarch Festival showcased some of the best hula halau (hula schools) from around Hawaiʻi, with Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Tracie & Keawe Lopes of Oʻahu taking the overall title at this year’s festivities.
One of the largest events of the year in Hawaiʻi, the Merrie Monarch Festival is a true celebration of Hawaiian culture and hula all on Hawaiʻi Island. Featuring three straight days of competition—the Miss Aloha Hula competition on April 13, the Kahiko division on April 14 and the ʻAuana division on April 15—the event has been referred
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Merrie Monarch Festival returns in all its glory this year. After a mix of pandemic cancelations and hybrid festivals, competition hula performances are finally open those who snagged coveted general admission tickets. The event is set to run from April 9-15 in Hilo, on Hawaiʻi Island. Dedicated to perpetuating
While the action onstage at the Merrie Monarch Festival is revered as a visual masterpiece, the experience is a truly immersive one. Close your eyes for even a moment on ʻauana night in the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium and youʻll smell palapalai and pua mēlia (plumeria); you’ll feel the movement of fierce hula steps; and you’ll
The Merrie Monarch Festival has officially kicked off. The festival is a week-long celebration of hula and Hawaiian culture. For anyone unsure of terms and people referenced throughout the festival, this is your elementary guide to what you may hear and see. ʻAuana – Modern style of hula we see today. Haumāna – Student. Hiʻiaka
