The 63rd Merrie Monarch Festival runs April 5-11, 2026, in Hilo on the Big Island. It is the single most important hula competition in the world and the largest annual cultural event in Hawaii. The festival honors King David Kalakaua, who revived Hawaiian cultural practices including hula after decades of missionary suppression. If you’re on the Big Island in early April, the entire town of Hilo transforms for this week.
What Is the Merrie Monarch
The festival is named for King David La’amea Kalakaua, who ruled from 1874 to 1891. His nickname was “The Merrie Monarch” because he brought music, dance, and celebration back into Hawaiian public life. Hula had been suppressed by Christian missionaries for decades before Kalakaua actively championed its revival. Without him, hula as we know it might not exist.
The Merrie Monarch Festival started in 1964 as a community effort to boost Hilo’s economy after a devastating tsunami wiped out much of the downtown waterfront. It was a small-town event for years. The hula competition was added in 1971, and that changed everything. Today, halau (hula schools) from across Hawaii and the mainland compete for titles that carry enormous prestige. The competition is broadcast statewide and draws international attention. It’s the Super Bowl of hula, and Hilo treats it that way. (Official Merrie Monarch site)
2026 Schedule
Here’s the day-by-day breakdown for the 63rd Merrie Monarch Festival:
Sunday, April 5 — Festival opens. Entertainment kicks off at the Grand Naniloa Hotel (12 PM) and Hilo Hawaiian Hotel (1 PM). This is a low-key start with live performances and a sense of the week building.
Monday through Wednesday — The Hawaiian Arts Fair runs all three days. Free and open to the public. Expect craft demonstrations, local artists selling handmade goods, and food vendors. This is one of the best parts of Merrie Monarch for visitors who don’t have competition tickets.
Wednesday, April 8 — Ho’olaule’a (Exhibition Night). Free performances of hula and Pacific Island folk dance at Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium. No ticket required. This is your best chance to see live hula in the competition venue without a ticket.
Thursday, April 9 — Miss Aloha Hula competition. Individual contestants perform hula kahiko (ancient), hula ‘auana (modern), and oli (chant). This is the most prestigious individual hula title in the world. The performances are intimate and intense.
Friday, April 10 — Group Hula Kahiko. Halau perform ancient-style dances with chant accompaniment only. No instruments. No amplification. Raw and powerful. Many longtime attendees say Friday night is the most emotionally charged of the three competition nights.
Saturday, April 11 — Group Hula ‘Auana (modern hula with musical accompaniment), followed by the awards ceremony. The Grand Parade through downtown Hilo caps the week. The parade route starts and ends at Pauahi Street, running along Kilauea Avenue, Keawe Street, Waianuenue Avenue, and Kamehameha Avenue. Expect floats, pa’u riders on horseback, marching bands, and halau in full regalia.
Tickets and How to Watch
Competition nights (Thursday through Saturday) require tickets. All three nights take place at Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium, 865 Pi’ilani Street, Hilo. One ticket covers all three competition nights, with a limit of two tickets per person.
The catch: tickets had to be requested by mail with requests postmarked December 1, 2025 or later. They are almost certainly gone by now. Demand far outstrips the 4,000-seat venue capacity every year. (Merrie Monarch - How to Buy Tickets)
If you don’t have tickets, you still have options. The competition is broadcast live on Hawaii News Now and streamed free online. Watch parties spring up at hotels, bars, and restaurants across the Big Island and statewide. Locals crowd around TVs the way the rest of the country watches the Super Bowl. Ask your hotel front desk where the nearest watch party is.
Two major events are completely free and open to everyone: the Ho’olaule’a on Wednesday night and the Grand Parade on Saturday. Both are excellent for visitors. The parade in particular is a spectacle worth building your Saturday around.
Craft Fair
Prince Kuhio Plaza hosts its annual Merrie Monarch Craft Fair from Thursday, April 9 through Saturday, April 11. Local artisans sell Hawaiian-made goods, jewelry, clothing, woodwork, and food. It’s one of the best shopping opportunities for authentic Hawaiian crafts on the Big Island.
The vendor waitlist closed in January due to overwhelming demand. That tells you how popular this event is. If you want to buy something specific from a particular vendor, go early on Thursday. By Saturday afternoon, popular items are picked over. (Prince Kuhio Plaza)
Bonus: UH Hilo History Exhibit
UH Hilo’s Mookini Library is hosting a free exhibit called “The Merrie Monarch: A Legacy of ‘Oiwi Persistence, Resistance, and Sovereignty.” It traces the festival from its humble post-tsunami beginnings to global recognition. On display April 2-13, 2026. Free admission. Worth a stop if you’re in Hilo during the festival, especially if you want to understand the deeper cultural significance of what you’re watching.
Practical Tips for Visitors
Book accommodation now. Hotels in Hilo sell out months ahead for Merrie Monarch week. If you haven’t booked, check Volcano Village (30 minutes south) or the Kona side (2+ hours west, but doable for day trips to Hilo). Vacation rentals in Puna and Hamakua Coast fill up too, but you may find last-minute openings.
Expect traffic. Hilo is a small town that suddenly has to handle thousands of extra visitors. Traffic gets heavy near the stadium on competition nights and along the parade route on Saturday. Give yourself extra time.
Make dining reservations. Hilo’s restaurant scene is small on a normal week. During Merrie Monarch, every seat in town fills up. Book ahead or plan to eat early. The food vendors at the Hawaiian Arts Fair and Craft Fair are solid alternatives.
Rent a car. Public transit in Hilo is limited and won’t get you where you need to be on a festival schedule. Use Discount Hawaii Car Rental to compare rates across major agencies. Book early because rental inventory on the Big Island tightens during festival week.
Respect the culture. The Merrie Monarch is a cultural event, not a tourist show. Locals take the competition seriously. Turn off your phone during performances. Don’t talk during competition dances. Don’t stand up and block the view of people behind you. If you treat it like a sporting event with cheering and noise, you’ll get hard looks from every direction. Watch. Listen. Absorb.
Plan Your Big Island Visit
Guides to help you explore the Big Island beyond the festival.
