Manua Lani Festival to Feature TRY Performances

August 29, 2026 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The 2026 Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience will again include opportunities for all steel guitarists – amateur, semi-professional, or professional – to perform on the festival stage.

The program formerly known as Open Stage Performances is now TRY Performances. The name is derived from the TRY Division of the Ho‘okūkū Kīkā Kila Hawaiian Steel Guitar Contest which is a non-competitive and non-compensated facet of the contest that welcomes all steel guitar players. This provides musicians with the ability to present their talent to a live audience and enhance their performance skills and stage presence.

TRY Performances will begin at 11:30 A.M. on Saturday, November 21, at the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection on Hawai‘i Island's Kohala Coast.

Performance slots are typically 30 minutes including setup and tear-down, and performances must include the Hawaiian steel guitar either by an individual or a band with a Hawaiian steel guitar, and the set list must include Hawaiian music for most, if not all the selections.

Steel guitarists wishing to participate in this year's TRY Performances should visit the festival website's Contact Page for additional information and TRY Performance Request Form.