7 Best Performing Arts Venues in Big Island, Hawaii

Each summer on the Saturday nearest to King Kamehameha Day (June 11), at least 100 regal riders on horseback parade through Historic Kailua Village, showing off the colorful flora and aloha spirit of Hawaii. This spectacular free event is one of the highlights of summer. The traditional royal pau riders (women dressed in long skirts) include a queen and princesses representing the major Hawaiian Islands. A cultural festival with live music and a houlaulea (local fundraiser) always follow on the historic grounds of Hulihee Palace, Hawaii Island's only royal palace.

The lively festival showcases island-based brewers and chefs on the luau grounds of the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. A fashion show, live music, and community fundraisers are all part of the fun. Check the date and get tickets early online, as this event always sells out.

Held over 10 days in early November, on the Kona side, the longest-running food festival in Hawaii celebrates world-renowned Kona coffee. The highly anticipated festival includes coffee contests, serious cupping (tasting) competitions, a lecture series, label contests, farm tours, and a colorful community parade featuring the newly crowned Miss Kona Coffee. During the Holualoa Village Coffee and Art Stroll, you can meet artists and sample estate coffees.

Paul "Kona Kozy" Kozak, a veteran Vegas and New York comedy club entertainer, brings a world-class magic show to the Kohala Coast. Every show is different but, guaranteed, each one is hilarious. Held within his fine-art tiki gallery, the shows will truly have you asking "How'd he do that?" for days afterward. Kozy knows his stuff: he once did a command performance for Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The show is for ages 18 and up.

On the oceanfront North Side Luau Grounds, you can indulge in the best of island cuisine—a traditional feast of kalua (earth oven–baked) pig roasted in an imu (oven), island fish, lomilomi salmon, and sashimi—while enjoying entertainment by renowned local performers. The luau, originally premiering in 1960 for Newsweek magazine and going strong ever since, includes an amazing fire-knife dance, spirited chanting, and traditional hula. Keiki (children) can learn the hukilau (a traditional song and dance), and you can relax right on the beach, under the stars. If you choose one luau during your visit to the Big Island, this should be the one, and it's surprisingly affordable. You can elect to see only the show for a reasonable fee.

The mother of all Hawaii festivals, the world-class Merrie Monarch in Hilo celebrates all things hula for one fantastic week every April with competitions, activities, a parade, and more. The esteemed event honors the legacy of King David Kalakaua (1836–1891), the man responsible for reviving fading Hawaiian cultural traditions including hula. The three-day hula competition is staged at the Edith Kanakaole Multi-Purpose Stadium during the first week following Easter Sunday. Hula halau (studios) worldwide come to perform both kahiko (ancient) and auana (modern) dance styles, solo and in groups. Tickets are not expensive, but they are hard to get. You should reserve accommodations and rental cars up to a year in advance. Ticket requests must be mailed and postmarked after December 1 of the preceding year.

Beautifully restored through community support, this historic theater dating from the silent-movie era (1925) survived Hilo's many tsunamis and now showcases everything from film festivals and old movies to musical productions and holiday concerts. There are even $10 jazz nights in the lobby and performances by big-name artists. It's open during the day, so you can have a peek through the curtains at the lovely vintage details and feel as if you stepped back in time.