Maui Arts & Entertainment

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi nei, and Queen Kaʻahumanu Center will celebrate with the community on May 4 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m.

Maui Public Art Corps in collaboration with the County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society will host its third “Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival” from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The event is FREE and will be held at ProArts Playhouse in Kīhei. The public is invited to this premiere of a new collection of animated film shorts that celebrate Maui history, culture and sense of place.

The April Kīhei 4th Friday Town Party will take place at Azeka Shopping Center Mauka on April 26 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Color Festival Hawaiʻi, Imua Family Services’ signature friend-raiser event, emerges with spring with a blast of multi-hued rainbows on Sunday, April 28 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The event is a celebration of Maui’s diverse community and the vibrancy that connects us all together. Live music, food and explosions of color are among the highlights at this open air concert.

On Monday night, Kamalei Kawaʻa’s journey on NBC’s “The Voice” came to a close. The singer, originally from Paukūkalo, reached the Playoffs last week, securing a spot in the top 20 after a journey that began in early March.

Artist 2 Artist, a Maui concert series, sets the stage for beloved Hawaiʻi performing artist Henry Kapono to perform with husband-wife duo Kalaʻe & Kalena and special Maui guest artist Pat Simmons, Jr. at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Friday, April 26.

Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House hosts its annual celebration of Lei Day on May 1, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be filled with vibrant colors, fragrant flowers, and the spirit of aloha in honor of the rich tradition of lei-making in Hawaiian culture.

An exclusive Mother’s Day Dinner and Show featuring Maui’s own Kamalei Kawaʻa, a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” will take place at The King Kamehameha Golf Club from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

Maui-based nonprofit Oni Foundation Inc. opens its new Wonderful World of Aloha 4,000-square-foot multicultural dance and activities center at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului. The dance and activities center opens May 1, 2024, offering cultural dance and hands-on learning experiences for kamaʻāina and visitors. 

Maui Mall Village is pleased to once again host The Art of Trash & Trashion Show, which kicks off on Earth Day, April 22, 2024. Mālama Maui Nui presents the annual programs to promote the vital message of upcycling through the imaginative transformation of trash. Kamaʻāina and visitors can attend the free opening night “trashion” show and visit the gallery conveniently located at Maui Mall Village.

One of the most successful and adored bands to come out of Hawai‘i, The Green, will perform on Maui this Friday.

If Kamalei Kawa’a’s performance struck viewers as emotional, it’s because it truly was. Kawa’a told Maui Now that his Monday night performance was one of the hardest performances, if not the hardest performance he’s ever had to do.

The producer/writer of the film said his initial goal was to produce a 20-minute short for classroom use but the story turned out to be bigger than anyone could have imagined.

Seabury Hall will present its 36th Annual Dance Showcase April 26-28 at the school’s ʻAʻaliʻikūhonua Creative Arts Center.

Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus hosted a free community concert Friday night at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The concert, He Leo Aloha No Maui, drew nearly a thousand people to “share the gift of mele to bring healing and hope to the people of Maui,” according to the organizers. Children from the Children’s Chorus sang “O Lahaina, E Hoi Ka Nani” during the event.

The 2024 Nā Kamehameha Commemorative Pā‘ū Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a is set for Saturday, June 15, 2024. Due to the Lahaina fires, the day-long events will be relocated to Central Maui, featuring a parade route along Ka‘ahumanu Avenue and a ho‘olaule‘a at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center.  This year’s Hawai’i-wide theme is “He Inoa No Kalaninui Kamehameha” – Honor to Kamehameha the Great. The application is accessible online for parade entries to apply, with a deadline of May 24, 2024.

A spring concert led by Maui Choral Arts Artistic Director & Conductor John Rowehl, pianist Lotus Dancer and a 60-voice chorus, will combine two 30-minute choral movements on Sunday, April 21.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Maui Brewers Festival fundraiser returns Saturday, May 18. Proceeds from this annual fundraiser benefit the MACC’s many educational programs for students, teachers, and seniors, as well as the many free events offered to the Maui County community.

The Queen Kaʻahumanu Center hosts several performing arts studios this month. April has an engaging performing arts lineup with events that include live music, theater performances and the grand opening of a new dance studio.

Slack Key ‘Ohana’s latest album “Hawaiian Cowboy,” impressively lassoed the No. 1 spot of the iTunes world music albums chart upon its release last Friday.