Hawaiʻi announces readiness to host 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, June 6-16, 2024

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, and festival organizers announced that Hawai‘i is prepared and ready to host the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC), the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders, which will convene on O‘ahu from June 6-16, 2024.

“Serving as host of the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture is an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Hawai‘i, in partnership with the US,” said Gov. Green. “We’re pleased to announce we are ready to welcome guests and festival participants from across the Pacific to our beautiful state for this important cultural event. FestPAC embodies the spirit of unity and diversity, and we look forward to hosting a memorable and enriching experience for all.”

“This is an incredible opportunity for Hawai‘i to showcase our rich cultural heritage and to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse traditions of the Pacific Islands,” added First Lady Jaime Kanani Green. “We urge kamaʻāina to gather their family and friends to take advantage of the many free events and activities that FestPAC has to offer. Let us join together to celebrate, learn, and share in this extraordinary cultural experience.”

More than 2,200 delegates from 27 Pacific nations will gather for 10 days of cultural exchange, appreciation, and celebration at various venues across the island. More than 50 festival events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, Festival Village, heritage dance and contemporary music performances, heritage arts demonstrations, visual arts exhibits, and more, will be free and open to the public. Event tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at www.festpachawaii.org. 

Primary FestPAC events will include an opening ceremony to launch the festivities with performances, speeches, and a parade of nations; an Ecumenical Service to unite attendees in reflection and prayer; Festival Village at the Hawai‘i Convention Center where artisans will feature traditional heritage art demonstrations, including kapa making, weaving, jewelry crafting, chanting, and dancing; and a closing ceremony to reflect and celebrate. All FestPAC events, with the exception of the wa‘a arrival ceremony, some bilateral governmental meetings, and discussions among delegations, are free and open to the public.

Primary FestPAC Events:

Wa‘a — Canoe Arrival Ceremony

Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Kualoa Regional Park
NOTE:  the wa‘a arrival ceremony is not open to the public. 

** Arrival ceremony to be televised and livestreamed on Hawai‘i News Now 

Wehena — Opening Ceremony 

Thursday, June 6, 2024, from 4-9 p.m.
Stan Sheriff Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
** Opening ceremony to be televised and livestreamed on Hawai‘i News Now

Festival Village 

Friday, June 7 – Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

(Closed on June 9)
Hawai‘i Convention Center

Ekalesia: Ecumenical Service 

Sunday, June 9, 2024, from 1-3 p.m.
Stan Sheriff Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
** Ecumenical Service to be livestreamed on Hawai‘i News Now

Panina — Closing Ceremony 

Sunday, June 16, 2024, from 3-7 p.m.
Stan Sheriff Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
** Closing ceremony to be televised and livestreamed on Hawai‘i News Now

Other FestPAC events will include art exhibits at Capitol Modern and the Hawai‘i Convention Center; a carving and tattoo showcase at Bishop Museum; conferences, symposia and expo at the Hawai‘i Convention Center; a wa‘a community festival at Kualoa Regional Park on June 8, and more. Heritage dance, traditional music, and contemporary music groups will be featured at venues across O‘ahu, including Ala Moana Center, Kawaiaha‘o Church, Our Kakaʻako, Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, Pālama Settlement, Polynesian Cultural Center, Royal Hawaiian Center, University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu, Waikīkī Beach Walk, and Windward Mall.

The full schedule of FestPAC events can be found at www.festpachawaii.org/schedule.

“For more than 50 years, FestPAC has served as the primary stage for honoring and preserving Pacific arts and culture. It presents a rare and unparalleled chance for Hawai‘i to exhibit our cultural legacy alongside our broader Pacific ‘ohana, nurturing a greater comprehension and respect for the collective identity of the Pacific,” said Aaron J. Salā, Ph.D., festival director of the 13th FestPAC. “By offering free access to most events, we hope to provide a welcoming and inclusive space for residents and visitors to celebrate and immerse themselves in this important celebration of culture and arts.”

At Tuesday’s news conference at Washington Place, Gov. Green and First Lady Green joined Festival Director Salā to also announce members of Hawai‘i’s delegation at this year’s FestPAC. These key members of the delegation also serve as program leads for the festival and have been instrumental in curating cultural programming. Hawai‘i’s delegation will be led by Kamana‘opono Crabbe.  

The 27 Pacific Island nations confirmed to attend the 13th FestPAC are American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawai‘i, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and Taiwan. 

Since its inception in 1972, FestPAC has served as an important venue for cultural conservation and revitalization, creativity and innovation, and cultural diplomacy for the Pacific community. In collaboration with the Pacific Community and the Council of Pacific Arts and Culture, FestPAC takes place every four years in a different Pacific Island nation. Hawai‘i was originally scheduled to host FestPAC for the first time in 2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, including festival delegations, schedule of events, and attendee registration, visit www.festpachawaii.org.