Hawaiʻi Walls returns to Kalihi from Tuesday to Sunday, September 16–21, 2025, transforming school campuses and neighborhood corridors with more than 50 new murals, live painting, talks, pop‑ups, and community celebrations that spotlight Hawaiʻi’s creative industries and the power of public art. Official announcements from the festival’s channels set the six‑day window and confirm the Kalihi focus, with this year’s production centered on Farrington High School and neighboring sites, following recent editions that expanded from Kakaʻako into Kalihi–Pālama and Kapālama Kai with large‑scale collaborations led by founder Jasper Wong and a majority local artist roster. Island event calendars echo the dates, listing Hawaiʻi Walls in Kalihi across the September 19–21 weekend and noting the festival’s role in Oʻahu’s packed cultural month alongside Aloha Festivals and Honolulu Tech Week.
Dates, place, and scope
- Dates: September 16–21, 2025, with artists on walls daily and public programming layered throughout the week.
- Core locations: Kalihi, centered at Farrington High School with additional walls in the surrounding Kalihi–Pālama district; past years featured school campuses such as Kalihi Kai and Puʻuhale Elementary, and sites in Kapālama Kai and Bishop Museum corridors.
- Scale and mix: More than 50 new murals for 2025, following 40–70 murals produced in prior editions; the lineup typically blends about 70 percent Hawaiʻi‑based artists with 30 percent visiting guests to elevate local voices while exchanging techniques and styles.
What to expect in 2025
- Live painting all week: Artists start early and work through sunset, with the public welcome to observe, ask questions from a respectful distance, and watch pieces come to life in real time.
- Artist talks and panels: Evening and mid‑week talks with featured muralists and curators give insight into process, materials, and place‑based storytelling that guides design choices on Kalihi walls.
- Pop‑ups, exhibits, and music: Partner galleries and creative crews activate spaces with openings, photo shows, and night events, continuing the model of exhibits like Thinkspace at Gangway Gallery and community parties at venues including White Sands Hotel in recent years.
- Community days: School‑centered programming and family‑friendly activities encourage students to meet artists, learn about creative careers, and see their campus transformed with color and narrative.
Roots and evolution
Formerly known as POW! WOW! Hawaiʻi, the rebranded World Wide Walls festival has deep Honolulu roots stretching back to 2010 in Kakaʻako before expanding to Kalihi–Pālama and Kapālama Kai. The mission pairs beautification with education and safety goals, increasing foot traffic and neighborhood pride while opening pathways into design, fabrication, and creative tech for local youth. Kamehameha Schools, a key district landowner, has partnered on Kapālama Kai murals and amplifies the festival’s intent to seed long‑term opportunity in Hawaiʻi’s creative industries.
Why Kalihi
Founder Jasper Wong’s personal connection to Kalihi — where he spent time in his family’s bakery and grocery — informs the 2025 focus on school campuses and everyday corridors, not just tourist districts. Murals here are designed to reflect community stories, languages, and hopes, with female artists and emerging local talent featured prominently in recent lineups and a continued emphasis on majority Hawaiʻi‑based creators. The result is a festival that belongs to the neighborhood while welcoming global dialogue.
How to visit and follow the art
- Mural map: The official map drops on festival channels before the week begins; the 2025 announcement points to a Kalihi cluster with Farrington High School as the largest concentration of new work.
- Best times: Mornings for planning and early sketches; afternoons for big color fills and large‑gestures; golden hour for detail and photo‑friendly light. Bring sun protection and water, and be mindful around lifts and cones.
- Etiquette: Do not touch wet walls or enter taped zones; ask before filming where students are present; respect campus rules and any quiet times during school hours.
Programs and partners
- School collaborations: With the 2024 edition painting 40 murals across three public schools and community sites, expect 2025 to continue artist‑student interactions, classroom visits where permitted, and campus‑specific narratives.
- Exhibitions and talks: Look for a mid‑week artist conversation with headline muralists and a gallery opening; past partners include Thinkspace and local creative collectives that stage pop‑ups during festival nights.
- Community sponsors: Neighborhood organizations, local businesses, and cultural institutions often support lifts, paint, and hospitality; Kamehameha Schools has previously hosted and commissioned Kapālama Kai walls within the festival’s orbit.
Travel planning
- Getting there: Kalihi is 10–15 minutes by car from downtown Honolulu and 15–20 minutes from Waikīkī off the H‑1; TheBus routes serve Dillingham, King, and School Streets near key clusters. Parking is limited during school hours — rideshare is easiest for daytime visits.
- Pair with nearby sites: Combine wall‑watching with a Bishop Museum visit, a Palama Settlement history stop, or a Kapālama Kai food run; many murals sit within short drives of these anchors.
- When to shoot: Early morning shadows add depth; late afternoon brings warm tones. Avoid blocking sidewalks or student routes and step across the street for wider frames.
Responsible viewing and equity
Hawaiʻi Walls foregrounds safety and respect alongside expression. Ask permission for close‑ups of people, especially students; defer to crew and school staff when lifts move; and consider donating to festival partners or buying from participating local businesses to sustain the ecosystem that makes the art possible.
Sample 2‑day itinerary
- Day 1: Start at Farrington High School for the largest mural cluster; walk the perimeter to see multiple pieces in progress; lunch on Dillingham; afternoon loop through Kalihi Kai School corridors; evening artist talk or gallery opening.
- Day 2: Morning at Puʻuhale Elementary and nearby walls; Bishop Museum visit for cultural context; sunset pass through Kapālama Kai to see legacy pieces from 2023 and new works linking Kalihi and Kapālama.
Why it matters
Public art in Kalihi is more than a backdrop. It is a living gallery for keiki and kūpuna, a signal of investment in neighborhoods beyond tourist zones, and a training ground where Hawaiʻi’s artists and fabricators build careers. With 50‑plus new murals planned in 2025 and a week of access for the community to watch, ask, learn, and celebrate, Hawaiʻi Walls offers a rare, transparent look at the making of culture in place.
Verified details at a glance
- Event: Hawaiʻi Walls (World Wide Walls) Kalihi 2025.
- Dates: September 16–21, 2025.
- Focus: 50+ new murals centered on Farrington High School with additional Kalihi–Pālama sites; live painting, talks, exhibits, and community events.
- 2024 reference: Sept 16–22 week with 40 murals at Farrington, Kalihi Kai, and Puʻuhale; artist talks, gallery shows, and community parties.
- Partners and context: Kamehameha Schools support in Kapālama Kai; mission to elevate local artists, beautify corridors, and inspire youth into creative careers.
Bring a hat, your curiosity, and time to wander. Start at Farrington to watch color rise on campus walls, then follow the map into Kalihi–Pālama as artists sign pieces and lifts come down. Hawaiʻi Walls is a chance to see Honolulu’s next wave of creative voices at work — and to be part of a week that leaves the neighborhood brighter long after the paint dries.
%202025.png?updatedAt=1756674953470)
%202025.png?updatedAt=1756674953566)
