Maui Arts & Entertainment

The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center will show famed animator Makoto Shinkai’s “Children Who Chase Lost Voices” on Saturday, June 8, and “Your Name” on Saturday, June 15.

The “ʻUkulele for Lahaina” Project announces the inaugural Kula ʻUkulele Festival, a special event as part of the Maui Jazz & Blues Festival series dedicated to providing ʻukulele to families who lost their instruments in the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire. The event will feature some of Hawaii’s top ʻukulele masters and will take place on June 22 from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean Organic Farm and Distillery on the slopes of Haleakalā.

The first phase of the “Maui Nui Hall of Fame” was unveiled Sunday evening at Kahului Airport, featuring 40 inaugural inductees from Maui County who have made significant contributions in music, film, and sports in Hawai‘i and beyond. The event drew more than 100 Hawaiʻi icons, government leaders, residents and well-wishers who celebrated the accomplishments, talents and impressive careers of honorees who have left a lasting impact in their respective fields.

The Bon dance season is set to make its return to Maui this summer. The Japanese Buddhist tradition of Obon, which is held at various temples throughout Maui County, is a community celebration to honor and offer prayers to the spirits of ancestors through music and dance. The full 2024 Maui Bon Dance Schedule is posted HERE.

The Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair takes place today, Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at War Memorial Special Events Field.  This year at AgFest, Maui County Farm Bureau (MCFB) honors the legacy of “Chinese in Agriculture on Maui.” The Wo Hing Society presents this free special exhibit from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., outlining the history and lasting impact of Chinese immigrants and settlers. The Wo Hing Society Hall stood in historic Lahaina Town as a symbol of Chinese culture for more than a century before it was destroyed in the fires.

Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary unveiled a vibrant mural that students worked on with local artist Noble Richardson on Wednesday. The mural on Building A honors the school’s namesake while incorporating aspects of Lahaina’s history and cultural significance.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center has announced that tickets are now available for an all-ages comedy show that features three of Hawaiʻi’s legends of comedy – Andy Bumatai, Frank De Lima and Augie T – taking place at Castle Theater on Friday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

If you stop by the Haleakalā Creamery booth at Maui AgFest next weekend, don’t be startled if you’re greeted by a goat. Rebecca Woodburn-Rist, owner of Maui’s “Farm to Spoon” goat dairy, will be selling her delicious goat milk caramel sauces and “Goatlato” ice cream with a little help from the herd. 

The Institute of Hawaiian Music (IHM) at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College has just released a CD of new music written and recorded by a special cohort of students. Entitled Ha‘ina Ko Wehi: Celebrating West Maui in Mele, the project was supported with a grant from the North Beach-West Maui Benefit Fund and originally intended to create new music for West Maui. However, given the tragic wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023 – occurring just two weeks before the group was scheduled to begin its work – the project’s focus shifted and many students chose to write and sing about Lahaina, its rich history, and their hopes for its future.

Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, performs at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s A&B Amphitheater & Yokouchi Pavilion with special guest, Henry Kapono, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

The May Kīhei 4th Friday town party will take place at Azeka Shopping Center Mauka, the “Heart and Soul” of Kīhei, on Friday, May 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The 22nd annual Maui Matsuri Japanese Festival is planned to take place at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College campus on Saturday, May 25. The Japanese Festival event is from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will include free entertainment, kids crafts, food booths and trucks, crafters, exhibits, hands-on activities, passport activity, and much more.

Fairmont Kea Lani hosts “Behind the Curtain: A Journey Through Hula,” an event dedicated to celebrating and sharing the art of hula, taking place Saturday, June 1, 2024. Through the lens of three Maui-based hālau, guests will hear first-hand what it takes to prepare for the prestigious Merrie Monarch hula competition and experience the beautiful art form as the hālau perform a hana hou of presentations shared during the festival this past April.

Zenshin Daiko’s 25th Annual Taiko Festival Concert, a celebration of outstanding muscienaship played with upbeat fun and boundless heart, hits the stage at Castle Theater of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday, June 15 at 7 p.m.

The Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony has been approved for a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will support the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony’s annual Pacific Music Institute summer program, strategic planning initiatives for board members, faculty, and staff, and a neighbor island performance tour for young musicians.

The winners of Mālama Maui Nui’s 2024 Art of Trash exhibit gallery and Trashion Show have been announced. Winners of the Art Gallery division are: 1st Place Winner: Jim Niess – “Water Meter” (left); 2nd Place Winner: Chris Mithen – “Wilmaʻs Circus” (middle); 3rd Place Winner: Beck Lewis – “ ʻAlalā ” (right).

Select movies from the Pacific Whale Foundation’s 8th annual World Whale Film Festival fundraiser will be presented June 6 at the OCEAN Organic Farm & Distillery, according to an announcement.

The Royal Mausoleum State Monument, the final resting place for the ruling monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, is considered one of the most culturally significant wahi pana (living breathing spaces) in the state. The selection of its 18th curator followed an intensive process.

To kick off its 22nd annual Japanese Festival, Maui Matsuri plans to hold its Children’s Festival portion of the celebration at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.

The inaugural Mixed Plate Music Fest, presented by Smooth Moves Entertainment, will be happening at the South Maui Gardens in Kīhei from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.