The MACC presents the 34th Annual Kī Hō‘alu Festival, June 29

The 34th Annual Kī Hō‘alu Festival returns to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center with live, in-person performances at the A&B Amphitheater starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. The concert will also be live streamed on the MACC’s website and on its Facebook and YouTube pages.

It’s a Maui and MACC tradition, annually enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, with some of Hawaiʻi’s best slack key guitar players performing Hawaiian music.

As always, the Kī Hō‘alu Festival is FREE, and a family-friendly event where all generations can appreciate the slack key guitar tradition, with both new music and classic favorites. The 2025 festival line-up of musicians includes Ledward “Led” Kaapana, Stephen Inglis, Kenneth Makuakāne, Kailua Moon (Danny & Nani Carvalho), Kevin Brown, Darrell Aquino, Dwight Kanae, Nāmaka Cosma White, Walter Keale, Michael Kaawa, Shem Kahawaiʻi, Kahiau Lam Ho and more/ Friend of the MACC, Billy V. from Hawaii News Now, returns as the event emcee.

Slack key has become known as one of the world’s great acoustic guitar methods, especially since the Grammy Awards at one time recognized Hawaiian music as a category all its own. At the MACC, slack key guitar music has been celebrated annually in a laid-back atmosphere at the annual Kī Hō‘alu Festival. The setting is with festival-goers relaxing in the A&B Amphitheater, where they can enjoy hours of slack key music as the sun sets behind the West Maui Mountains.

Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own low-back beach chairs, blankets, or lauhala mats and relax on the A&B Amphitheater lawn to fully enjoy the melodious music by the event’s guitarists. Shaded seating for kupuna will be provided. No large duffels/bags, umbrellas, or outside food or beverages can be allowed into the amphitheater.

This year’s Kī Hō‘alu Festival will feature food & beverages available for purchase, including a variety of snacks, lunch, and dessert options from a half-dozen of Maui’s amazing food vendors.

As with our previous festivals, a wide variety of Hawaiian arts & crafts vendors will also be on hand selling their wares.

The MACC will be collecting non-perishable donations for the Maui Food Bank at the event. Concert attendees are requested to bring items for those impacted by the wildfires. Donation bins will be located near the MACC’s main entry gates. As an added incentive, everyone who brings a donation will be entered into a drawing to receive a signed show poster and a Kī Hō‘alu merchandise bundle.

This annual Kī Hō‘alu Festival, now in its 34th year on Maui, is presented by Maui Arts & Cultural Center, sponsored by the County of Maui and Office of Economic Development, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and Kilohana by CNHA with additional support from The Maui News, the Kī Hō‘alu Foundation, Ka-Hoku Productions, and KPOA.

For more information, patrons may visit MauiArts.org.