A Maui Lūʻau

Hula, Polynesian performance, and an imu-roasted feast

Location

West & South Maui (Lahaina, Wailea)

The evening

Feast + hula + Polynesian revue

The feast

Kālua pork from the imu

When

Year-round, most at sunset

A lūʻau is Maui's classic evening celebration — an outdoor feast paired with hula and Polynesian performance, usually at sunset near the water. The centerpiece is kālua pork slow-roasted in an imu (an underground oven), served while dancers and musicians trace the story of Hawaiʻi through chant, hula, and song.

A lūʻau dancer performing on Maui · Photo: Matt (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The experience

A lūʻau is Maui's classic evening celebration: an outdoor feast paired with hula and Polynesian performance, usually at sunset near the water. The centerpiece is kālua pork slow-roasted in an imu, an underground oven, served alongside island dishes, while dancers and musicians trace the story of Hawaiʻi and the wider Pacific through chant, hula, and — at some shows — fire-knife dancing.

More than dinner and a show

The best lūʻau treat hula as living culture rather than a floor show, with narration that walks you through the migration of the Polynesians, the meaning of the dances, and the stories behind the mele (songs). Many begin with an imu ceremony — the unearthing of the roasted pig — and a chance to try poi, lomi salmon, and haupia.

How it fits a Maui trip

A lūʻau is the natural cap to a day of whale watching, snorkeling, or a Haleakalā sunrise: an unhurried, sit-down evening after the sun goes down. Shows run year-round across the island, so an evening lūʻau pairs easily with any winter whale-season itinerary.

Local tip

Book a sunset show and come hungry — most lūʻau open with the imu ceremony (the unearthing of the roasted pig) before the feast and performance begin. Popular shows sell out in high season.

Book & reserve