Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi (Memorial Day)

Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi (Memorial Day) on Oʻahu is a deeply moving sunset remembrance ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park, where thousands gather to honor loved ones and float candle-lit lanterns on the ocean in a shared expression of aloha. It’s one of the most meaningful island events in Honolulu because it welcomes everyone, regardless of background, and transforms Memorial Day into a moment of collective reflection and hope.

What is Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi on Oʻahu?

Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi is an annual ceremony conducted at Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu, where candle-lit lanterns are floated on the water to carry gratitude and prayers. The official ceremony description emphasizes that everyone is welcome, regardless of belief or background, to participate in this physical expression of love and remembrance.

The ceremony is often referred to as “Many Rivers, One Ocean,” a theme that reflects how individual remembrances come together into a shared experience. For visitors, this is what makes Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi feel different from a typical festival: it’s quiet, emotional, and community-focused, yet still visually unforgettable when the ocean fills with warm points of light.

When it Happens: Memorial Day on Oʻahu

Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi is held every year on Memorial Day, making it a consistent late-May event for travelers planning an Oʻahu spring trip. The official site also frames it as an annual Memorial Day ceremony of remembrance, gratitude, and aloha.

The evening timing is a major part of the atmosphere. A Honolulu event guide notes the ceremony runs approximately 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., which aligns with the event’s sunset setting on Ala Moana’s shoreline.

Where it Happens: Ala Moana Beach Park and the Honolulu Shoreline

The ceremony takes place at Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu, with the official site consistently identifying Ala Moana Beach as the location. This setting is a huge reason the event resonates with both locals and visitors: Ala Moana Beach Park is centrally located, close to Waikīkī and downtown Honolulu, and the ocean horizon provides a natural stage for the floating lanterns.

Ala Moana also gives visitors an easy way to combine island sightseeing with meaningful cultural participation. You can spend the day exploring Waikīkī, the Ala Moana area, or nearby Honolulu neighborhoods, then return to the beach for the ceremony without needing a long drive across the island.

The Story Behind the Ceremony: Remembrance, Gratitude, and Aloha

Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi is designed to hold space for grief and healing. The ceremony page explains that by sharing feelings of loss and grief, participants may also experience hope, courage, and compassion, creating a desire for connection and healing.

It’s also intentionally inclusive and communal. The official description notes that whether you attend in person, watch the broadcast on television, or view the livestream online, the goal is a shared experience of aloha that can turn a personal moment into collective harmony and empathy.

For travelers, this matters because it clarifies expectations. This is not an event where the best experience comes from pushing to the front; it’s an event where the best experience comes from listening, being present, and respecting the people around you.

What to Expect: The Lanterns, The Messages, and The Ocean Glow

The visual heart of Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi is the lantern itself. The official FAQs state that there will be 6,000 lanterns floated and explain that individual lanterns are distributed at the event for those who want to personally place a lantern into the water.

How to Get a Lantern (and what you can write)

The official site explains that lanterns can be received first-come, first-served at the Lantern Request Tent on the day of the event, free of charge. The FAQs also state that individual lanterns are available at no cost, one per family or group, with three blank sides for writing remembrances.

If you cannot attend in person, the official site explains that remembrances can still be included via Collective Remembrance Lanterns floated by volunteers. This is a helpful option for travelers who have limited time on Oʻahu or who prefer to witness from farther back instead of joining the lantern launch area.

Can you bring your own lantern?

The answer is no. The official FAQs ask attendees not to float homemade lanterns, citing safety and environmental concerns, including flammability testing and the fact that official lanterns are designed to stop against special lines strung across the water so they won’t float out to sea.

What happens to the lanterns afterward?

Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi is designed to be responsible and respectful. The FAQs explain that volunteers in canoes make efforts to retrieve each lantern after the ceremony, that lanterns are cleaned and stored for refurbishment, and that remembrances and prayers are handled in a spiritually respectful way.

Is Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi Free? Pricing and Donations

There is no cost to participate. The official FAQs state that everyone is welcome to attend, place a remembrance on a lantern, or float a lantern, free of charge.

Donations are voluntary and have a defined purpose. The FAQs explain that voluntary donations received at the beach on the day of the ceremony are gifted to the City & County of Honolulu for maintenance and beautification of Ala Moana Beach Park, while donations can also support Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi activities through its donation channels.

Practical Travel Tips for Attending on Memorial Day

Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi draws very large crowds, so a little planning makes a big difference. A Honolulu guide warns that parking can be a challenge and suggests using paid parking at Ala Moana Center and walking across to the beach.

Other practical points to plan around:

• Arrive early if you want a lantern, because lantern distribution is first-come, first-served and limited.
• Bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, because the official FAQs state the ceremony does not sell food or beverage and encourages attendees to come prepared.
• Expect a respectful, emotional atmosphere near the waterline where lanterns are released, and give space to people who are actively placing remembrances.

Local Relevance: Why This Event Fits Honolulu and Oʻahu

Ala Moana Beach Park is one of Honolulu’s most accessible shoreline gathering places, which makes it a natural home for a ceremony built around community and inclusion. Because the event happens on Memorial Day, it also aligns with the island’s broader tradition of honoring service members and loved ones through meaningful public gatherings.

For visitors staying in Waikīkī, Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi can become a powerful anchor moment in an Oʻahu vacation. It’s a reminder that Hawaiʻi is not only a scenic destination, but also a place where local community, memory, and spiritual practice are visible and shared.

Verified Information at a Glance

• Event name: Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi (Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi)
• Event category: Memorial Day remembrance ceremony (community cultural and spiritual gathering)
• Typically held: Memorial Day (late May)
• Location: Ala Moana Beach, Honolulu, Oʻahu
• Lantern count (official): 6,000 lanterns floated (as stated in FAQs).
• Cost to attend and participate: Free to attend; free to place a remembrance or float a lantern.
• Lantern availability: Individual lanterns distributed first-come, first-served at the Lantern Request Tent; one lantern per family/group.
• Homemade lanterns: Not allowed due to safety and environmental concerns.
• Food and drink: The ceremony does not sell food or beverage; attendees are encouraged to bring their own, with fixed concession stands in the park area noted as the compliant purchase option.

If you’re planning an Oʻahu trip for Memorial Day, make space in your island itinerary for Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi at Ala Moana Beach Park, arrive early to write a remembrance, and stay through sunset to watch thousands of lights drift across the water in one of Honolulu’s most unforgettable expressions of aloha.