If you’re planning a July 2026 trip to Oʻahu, and you’ve ever owned a ukulele, watched a Jake Shimabukuro clip, or smiled at a stranger playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on a beach, this is the weekend to know about. The International ʻUkulele Festival of Hawaiʻi 2026 takes over Kapiʻolani Park and several Waikīkī venues from July 10–12, 2026. The headline event — a free outdoor concert at the Kapiʻolani Park bandstand — happens on Sunday, July 12. Details and updates on the official International ʻUkulele Festival of Hawaiʻi site.
Put simply: this is the direct continuation of Roy Sakuma’s legendary Ukulele Festival, which ran every July in Kapiʻolani Park for more than 50 years before Roy retired and new organizers — with his full support — picked up the torch. If you were planning a Waikīkī summer weekend anyway, this is one of those “show up and be glad you did” cultural experiences that is genuinely free and worth the detour.
