Maui Music and Food Experience 2025 set for August at the Hyatt Regency

The Hua Momona Foundation has announced the second annual Maui Music & Food Experience, taking place from Aug. 15 to Aug. 16 at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Kāʻanapali.

The Maui Music & Food Experience will feature a host of acclaimed musicians and world-class chefs for a celebration of the Maui community and the aloha spirit while supporting the Hua Momona Foundation’s mission to combat food insecurity, accelerate the Lahaina rebuild following the fires and cultivate Maui’s youth music scene. 

Single-day and two-day GA and VIP tickets — as well as platinum passes — are available now, with prices increasing on Aug. 1 and again on Aug. 11. The Hyatt Regency Maui is the official resort partner and will offer discounted accommodations for Maui Music & Food Experience guests.

Led by legendary Chicago musician and Experience Music Director Nicholas Tremulis, Maui Music and Food Experience’s roster of performing artists includes Mongoose (led by Bernard Fowler of the Rolling Stones), Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk with special guest Ernie Isley (Isley Brothers), who will join forces for a Jimi Hendrix tribute, in addition to local Hawaiian artists Paula Fuga (Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley collaborator), Kanekoa, Marty Dread, Tavana, Wayne Baker Brooks, Frank Orrall and Hawaiian National Heritage Award-winning slack-key guitarist Ledward Kaapana, among others. In addition to their scheduled performances, artists will gather for nightly post-concert jam sessions at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

“The situation in Hawaiʻi is both deeply important and personal to me,” said returning musician Ernie Isley. “I’ve had the chance to visit Lahaina several times, and I’ve always found it to be one of the most charming parts of Maui. There’s something special about its history, the walkability, and the slower pace — it gives you the opportunity to connect with the shops, the people and the local restaurants. It really captures what it feels like to live on the island. Last year’s show was a lot of fun. The audience’s energy was incredible, and revisiting those familiar songs felt like a shared celebration. It was a bit like singing ‘Happy Birthday’ — everyone knew the words, and everyone joined in. It was a great experience.”

The event will also spotlight celebrated chefs and their culinary artistry, led by local Hua Momona Farm Chef Zach Laidlaw, a champion of sustainable agriculture and immersive dining whose standout performance as a finalist on Next Level Chef highlighted his deep connection to Maui’s land and flavors. Joining him is Next Level Chef Season 3 winner Gabrielle Chappel, along with World Rice Champion Chef Ryan Von Smith (Chef Von) and Charles Andres, executive chef at the Sheraton Maui.

“Last year’s festival was deeply personal for me, not just as a chef, but as a member of the Lahaina community still healing,” said executive chef of Maui Music & Food Experience Zach Laidlaw. “I’m honored to return and lead the culinary team again—this time with an even bigger mission. Cooking for a cause this meaningful, surrounded by music, ‘ohana and resilience, is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of feeling.”

To kick off the celebration, the Maui Music & Food Experience will host a launch party on Aug. 13 featuring chefs and musicians from the tour. The event is open to all Maui Music & Food Experience guests, as well as hotel guests who did not purchase tickets.

Last year’s inaugural Maui Music & Food Experience raised $250,000 for the survivors of the Lahaina fires, spurred the struggling Maui economy and brought together a historic collection of local and mainland artists, as well as celebrity chefs. The experience culminated in an epic homage to Jimi Hendrix, featuring Billy Cox, Mick Fleetwood, Ernie Isley, Daryl Jones, Charlie Sexton, Ivan Julian, Ron Artis, Wayne & Ronnie Baker Brooks, Isaiah Sharkey and many others. Watch the group’s performance of “Purple Haze” here. 

“Based on the amazing response in 2024 on Maui, we are pleased to celebrate the aloha spirit with food and music across this three-city benefit concert-style tour,” said Gary Grube, founder of the Hua Momona Foundation. “We’re grateful for the support from our donors, sponsors, artists and concert guests to make this happen so that our Maui community programs continue to thrive.”

This year, the Hua Momona Foundation is bringing a taste of the islands to the mainland, with Maui Music & Food Experience making stops in San Antonio on Sept. 20 and Chicago on Nov. 7.

In addition to Hyatt Regency Maui, sponsors include Hawaiian Airlines, Ocean Vodka, Volcano Wasabi and the Will Smith Foundation (San Antonio).