The Olympics of Hula: Inside Hilo's Merrie Monarch Festival

For one week each spring, the small Big Island city of Hilo becomes the center of the Hawaiian world. The Merrie Monarch Festival, held since 1964, is the most prestigious hula competition anywhere — a fiercely contested, deeply respected showcase where the finest hālau from across the islands and beyond come to dance.

Honoring King Kalākaua

The festival takes its name from King David Kalākaua, the 'Merrie Monarch' who revived hula and Hawaiian arts in the late 1800s after decades of suppression. That spirit of revival animates the event, which pairs competition with a week of crafts, exhibitions and a grand parade through town.

A Coveted Ticket

Tickets to the competition sell out almost instantly and are treasured across the islands, though the finals are broadcast statewide to rapt audiences. Whether you watch in the arena or on a living-room screen, the artistry and emotion on display make it clear why this is hula's highest honor.

Winning at Merrie Monarch is the highest honor in hula — and the whole of Hawaiʻi is watching.

Good to Know

• Held annually in Hilo, the week after Easter
• Named for King Kalākaua, who revived hula
• Tickets are famously hard to obtain
• The finals are broadcast across the state

It is a living tradition, carried forward by the people who call these islands home.