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Merrie Monarch Festival 2026: Hawaii's Premier Hula Competition

AlohaCalendar Editorial|May 23, 2026

The World's Premiere Hula Competition

The Merrie Monarch Festival is the most prestigious hula competition on earth. Held every April in Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island — in the week after Easter — it draws hula halau (schools) from across Hawaii and around the world to compete for honors that define careers. For serious practitioners and devoted fans, Merrie Monarch is what the Olympics is to track and field: the ultimate proving ground.

In 2026, Merrie Monarch runs from the Monday after Easter through Saturday. The festival has been held continuously since 1964, named in honor of King David Kalakaua — the "Merrie Monarch" — who championed the revival of hula during his reign in the 1880s after missionaries had suppressed it for decades.

The Competition Format

Competition takes place at the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium in Hilo over three nights. Two divisions compete:

Miss Aloha Hula: Individual women competing in both kahiko (ancient, traditional) and auana (modern) hula. This is considered the most prestigious solo honor in hula.
Wahine (Women's Group) Division: Halau competing as a group in both kahiko and auana styles. Groups range from a handful of dancers to 50 or more.
Kane (Men's Group) Division: Men's halau competing in kahiko and auana. The kane division is particularly electrifying — ancient kahiko performed by men is among the most powerful performances in Hawaiian culture.

Kahiko hula is performed to chant only, no amplification, with traditional costumes, implements, and movements rooted in pre-contact Hawaii. Auana hula is performed to contemporary Hawaiian music with modern costuming.

Getting Tickets — Or Watching Free

This is where Merrie Monarch differs from almost every major cultural event in America: competition tickets are distributed free by lottery. Applications open in early January and close within days. Winners are selected by random drawing and notified by mail. If you do not win the lottery, you cannot buy a competition ticket at any price.

But here is what most visitors do not know: free public viewing is available on the stadium grounds. Thousands of people watch on large screens set up outside Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium. Bring a blanket, arrive early, and you can watch the entire competition — the audio and video feed is broadcast to the grounds.

Additionally, the live television broadcast on KITV (ABC affiliate, Honolulu) reaches all islands. Most hotels and many Big Island homes host watch parties.

Beyond the Competition

Ho'ike Night: A non-competitive exhibition performance on the Wednesday of festival week, showcasing halau that are not competing. Free and deeply moving.
Royal Parade: A Saturday morning parade through downtown Hilo featuring the competing halau, royal court, and community groups. Free to watch along Kamehameha Avenue.
Arts and Crafts Fair: Running the full week at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium — one of the best places in Hawaii to buy authentic Hawaiian crafts.

Staying in Hilo for Merrie Monarch

Hilo is a small city and accommodations fill up a year in advance for Merrie Monarch week. Book as early as possible. Options include the Grand Naniloa Hotel on Banyan Drive, Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel, and vacation rentals in Hilo and Puna — often the best value; book 6-12 months out.

Hilo gets rain — it is one of the wettest cities in the U.S. Bring rain gear and embrace it. The lush green landscape of the Big Island's east side is a direct result of that rain.

Why Merrie Monarch Matters

To watch kahiko hula performed by a halau that has trained for a year specifically for this moment — ancient chants, movements, and stories that encode the history and values of the Hawaiian people — is to experience something that cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth. Merrie Monarch is the most concentrated expression of living Hawaiian culture that exists. It is worth arranging your entire trip around it.

The **Merrie Monarch Festival** is hula's Super Bowl. Held every April in Hilo since 1964, it's the only place in the world where the best hālau (hula schools) compete head-to-head in front of 4,000 spectators in the Edith Kanakaʻole Tennis Stadium.

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