HIMELE Festival News

June 9, 2023 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

Here is the latest news about HIMELE's Hawaiian steel guitar festivals and related events.

Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall

June 10, 2023

Joseph Zayac will not be able to participate in this year's festival due to a scheduling conflict.

Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival

July 14, 2023

Japanese guest artist Boo Takagi will not participate as previously announced.

Shinichi Kakiuchi will join this year's festival lineup with his wife Kumiko.

The starting time for the festival has been moved to 4:00 PM HST (11:00 AM Sunday Japan time), an hour later than previously announced. The festival will conclude at 7:30 PM. The Friday event will be livestreamed.

Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week

July 10-15, 2023

The performance order for the Monday-Thursday evening concerts has been revised. Mālie Lyman will perform on Monday, the NextGen steel guitarists will perform on Tuesday, Greg Sardinha and Po‘okela, will perform on Wednesday, and Alan Akaka and The Islanders will perform on Thursday. The one-hour programs will begin at 5:30 PM each day.

Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival performances will begin at 4:00 PM HST and run through 7:30 PM. Emcee for the festival will be Reiko Tokushige Rogers.