On the morning of Saturday, August 22, 2026, the lawns of the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows on Kāʻanapali Beach will fill with the sound of chant, the movement of hālau hula from across Maui, and the sight of Kumu Hula leading their students in performances that trace directly back to one of the most beloved women in Hawaiian cultural history. The Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival 2026 runs from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, Lahaina, West Maui. Entry is completely free.
"Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people."
The Story of Aunty Emma Farden Sharpe
A Legacy of Hula and Culture
The festival takes its name from Emma Kapiʻolani Farden Sharpe — known throughout the Hawaiian cultural world as "Aunty Emma" — one of the most dedicated and influential Kumu Hula of the 20th century. Aunty Emma made it her life's mission to perpetuate hula and Hawaiian culture at a time when those traditions faced real pressure from assimilation and modernisation.
She was one of the founders of Na Mele O Maui — the choir contest among Maui County schools in grades K through 12 that continues to this day — and later introduced the hula festival that bears her name, originally held in conjunction with Na Mele. The festival carried on through the 1980s before phasing out in the early 1990s. It was later revived in Aunty Emma's honour — a deliberate act of cultural memory by the Hawaiian community of West Maui — and has been growing ever since.
The 2026 Festival Experience
What to Expect This Year
The Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival 2026 is confirmed for Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, 2780 Kekaa Drive, Lahaina, HI 96761:
- Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Venue: Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, Kāʻanapali Beach, Lahaina, West Maui
- Entry: Free
- Contact: Daryl Fujiwara, [email protected]
- Official page: facebook.com/EFSHF
Note: The 2025 edition ran across two days (August 22 and 23) while the current confirmed 2026 listing shows Saturday, August 22 only. Check the official Facebook page for any updates on additional programming.
Highlights of the Festival
A Celebration of Hula and Culture
Based on the festival's established format across recent editions, the 2026 programme at the Royal Lahaina is expected to include:
- Hālau hula performances from multiple Kumu Hula and their students across West Maui and beyond, presenting both hula ʻauana (modern hula) and hula kahiko (ancient hula)
- Free cultural workshops — previous editions have included a Pūpū Weuweu session on regenerative resource stewardship through a hula lens, an ʻukulele workshop with local Lahaina musicians, and an intermediate hula workshop with Kumu Hula instructors
- Free keiki activities — the festival is explicitly designed as a family event with dedicated activities for children throughout the day
- Mākeke (artisan marketplace) — local Maui small businesses and artisans presenting locally made apparel, handcrafted jewellery, cultural goods, and local food
- Lifetime achievement award dedicated to a pillar of the hula community, honoring the living legacy of Aunty Emma's cultural mission
- Hawaii-made artists and Hawaiian music accompanying the hula performances throughout the day
The 2025 edition honoured Phyllis Ross, a lifelong student, dancer, and teacher of hula whose journey was deeply intertwined with Aunty Emma's legacy — and featured performances by the 2024 Carmen Hulu Lindsey Falsetto Champion Leimana Purdy and award-winning vocalist Natalie Aʻi Kamauʻu.
The Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows
A Venue with Its Own Story
The choice of the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows as the festival's 2026 venue carries meaning beyond logistics. The Royal Lahaina sits directly on Kāʻanapali Beach — one of the most celebrated beaches in all of Hawaii, a 3-mile arc of golden sand on West Maui's coast that has been a centre of Hawaiian resort life since the 1960s.
The resort was described as the "people's place" by festival organisers — a property that has been reimagined and reopened following the devastating August 2023 Lahaina wildfires that forced the festival to a virtual format in 2023 and a Central Maui location in 2024 before returning to West Maui in 2025. The 2026 festival's return to the Royal Lahaina is part of Lahaina's ongoing cultural and community recovery. The festival coming home to West Maui, to the shore closest to where Aunty Emma's legacy is most deeply felt, carries significance that goes beyond any single event.
Festival guests booking accommodation through the festival's official link receive waived resort fees and free self-parking at the Royal Lahaina Resort.
The Hula Forms: ʻAuana and Kahiko
Embracing the Full Spectrum of Hula
The Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival specifically celebrates both major forms of hula — a distinction that matters deeply to the Hawaiian cultural community:
- Hula ʻauana is the more widely recognised form of hula in popular culture — flowing movements, contemporary costumes, and melodies often accompanied by guitar and ʻukulele. It emerged in the 19th century as hula evolved in response to Western musical influences
- Hula kahiko is the ancient form of hula, performed with traditional percussion instruments including the pahu drum and ipu gourd, chanted mele (songs/poems), and costumes rooted in pre-contact Hawaiian materials. Hula kahiko is the form most directly connected to Hawaiian spiritual and historical memory
Witnessing both forms performed by multiple hālau in a single day at Kāʻanapali Beach gives visitors an understanding of hula's full range that no luau show or resort performance can provide. This is hula as a living cultural practice, presented by the community that has carried it forward.
Lahaina and West Maui in August 2026
A Time of Renewal and Celebration
Attending the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival on August 22 puts you in West Maui during one of the best months of the year for the region, and in the town that is in the midst of one of the most significant community rebuilding efforts in modern Hawaiian history:
- Kāʻanapali Beach — the festival venue sits directly on what is consistently ranked among the top 10 beaches in the United States; the beach runs 3 miles from the Sheraton Maui at Black Rock south to the Hyatt Regency Maui
- Lahaina town — the historic waterfront district is rebuilding following the 2023 wildfires; visiting in 2026 is an act of support for the community and its recovery
- The Banyan Tree — the enormous historic banyan tree in Lahaina's town square, which survived the 2023 fires, is approximately 10 minutes from the festival venue
- Whalers Village — the open-air shopping and dining centre on Kāʻanapali Beach is steps from the Royal Lahaina and offers post-festival dining options with direct beach views
Travel Tips for the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival 2026
Making the Most of Your Festival Experience
- Arrive early — the festival opens at 10:00 AM on August 22 and the best positions for the hālau performances fill quickly. Arriving by 9:30 AM gives you time to explore the mākeke before the first hālau takes the stage
- Register for workshops in advance — the cultural workshops have limited capacity and registration is required. Check the official festival Facebook page for the 2026 workshop registration link
- Accommodation at the Royal Lahaina — book your room through the official festival link to receive waived resort fees and free self-parking
- Nearest airport: Kahului Airport (OGG) — approximately 45 minutes to Kāʻanapali Beach via the Honoapiʻilani Highway
- August weather in West Maui: Trade wind season; warm and sunny with afternoon breezes; average temperature 28 to 30°C; ideal conditions for an outdoor beach festival
- Bring cash for the mākeke artisan stalls and local food vendors; cards may not be accepted by all vendors
- Children are warmly welcomed — the free keiki activities programme makes August 22 a genuinely family-appropriate full day out
- Combine with a North Shore or Road to Hana day trip — arriving in Maui a day or two before August 22 gives you time to experience the island's full range before the festival
Supporters and Sponsors of the Festival
A Community-Driven Celebration
The Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival is supported by a community of organisations that reflects its genuine grassroots Hawaiian cultural character:
- County of Maui Office of Economic Development
- Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
- Kilohana by CNHA (Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement)
- Lahaina Hawaiian Civic Club
- ʻOhana Farden (Aunty Emma's family)
- Pacific Media Group (KPOA 93.5 FM)
- KS Kaiāulu (Kamehameha Schools)
- Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows
The combination of county government, state tourism authority, Native Hawaiian civic organisations, and Aunty Emma's own family behind the event confirms this as one of the most authentically community-rooted cultural festivals in Hawaii.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Things People Always Want to Know
When is the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival 2026?
The Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival 2026 is on Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, Kāʻanapali Beach, Lahaina, Maui.
Is the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival free to attend?
Yes, completely free.
Where is the festival held?
At the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, 2780 Kekaa Drive, Lahaina, HI 96761 on Kāʻanapali Beach, West Maui.
What types of hula are performed at the festival?
Both hula ʻauana (modern hula) and hula kahiko (ancient hula) are performed by multiple hālau hula throughout the day.
Who was Emma Farden Sharpe?
Emma Kapiʻolani Farden Sharpe (Aunty Emma) was a renowned Kumu Hula and co-founder of Na Mele O Maui who dedicated her life to perpetuating hula and Hawaiian culture. The festival honours her legacy.
How do I get to the Royal Lahaina Resort from Kahului Airport?
Approximately 45 minutes by car via the Honoapiʻilani Highway from Kahului Airport (OGG) to Kāʻanapali Beach, West Maui.
Verified Information at a Glance
- Event: Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival 2026
- Category: Free Hawaiian cultural hula festival
- Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Venue: Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, 2780 Kekaa Drive, Lahaina, HI 96761, Kāʻanapali Beach, West Maui
- Entry: Free
- Programme: Hālau hula performances (ʻauana and kahiko), free cultural workshops, free keiki activities, mākeke artisan marketplace, lifetime achievement award, Hawaiian music
- Contact: Daryl Fujiwara, [email protected]
- Official Facebook: facebook.com/EFSHF
- Supporters: County of Maui, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Kilohana by CNHA, Lahaina Hawaiian Civic Club, ʻOhana Farden, KPOA 93.5 FM, KS Kaiāulu, Royal Lahaina Resort
- Nearest airport: Kahului Airport (OGG) — approximately 45 minutes by car
- Best for: Hawaiian culture enthusiasts, hula lovers, families with children, Maui visitors in August, West Maui community supporters, cultural tourism travelers, island event content creators
