Polynesian Voyaging Society honors 50th anniversary of Hōkūleʻa’s maiden voyage

Polynesian Voyaging Society commemorates this year a defining moment in Hawaiʻi’s history: the 50th anniversary of the maiden voyage of traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa, which sailed from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti in 1976 using traditional, non-instrument navigation.

This marked the first time in about 600 years that a voyaging canoe sailed that ancient sea road and disproved theories of accidental drift.

Hōkūleʻa’s maiden voyage is an endeavor that changed history.

The canoe departed May 1, 1976, from Hawaiʻi, guided by master navigator Mau Piailug of Satawal, Micronesia, who navigated entirely by traditional wayfinding: reading the stars, winds, waves, clouds and the living ocean.

Hōkūleʻa made landfall after more than 30 days at sea, arriving June 1, 1976, at Mataiva, before making it June 4, 1976, to Papeʻete Harbor, Tahiti, where more than 17,000 people gathered to welcome the double-hulled canoe.

Hōkūleʻa then made her maiden voyage back to Hawaiʻi, arriving to thousands of people waiting at Magic Island, Oʻahu.

It was a round-trip voyage that spanned a total of 52 days at sea.

The purpose of the voyage was bold and transformational: to demonstrate that the ancestors of Polynesia were skilled voyagers and navigators who intentionally settled the vast Pacific Ocean, directly challenging long-had theories of accidental drift.

Polynesian Voyaging Society — in honor of this milestone and together with community partners, educators and supporters — will pay tribute to that maiden voyage, the crew members and the many people whose belief and commitment made the journey possible.

A series of storytelling, educational initiatives, musical performances and fundraising efforts will reflect on the legacy of the voyage and its enduring impact.

2026 Polynesian Voyaging Society membership campaign: Honoring the 50-year legacy

Polynesian Voyaging Society invites the community to become a 2026 Supporting Member, honoring the legacy of the 1976 maiden voyage.

Membership support directly fuels education, crew training, cultural perpetuation and continued journey of the Moananuiākea Voyage and beyond. The society also reissued archival membership designs originally created to support the 1976 voyage.

These designs honor the foundations of the voyaging movement and collective responsibility that carried Hōkūleʻa to sea.

2026 membership decal: $10

• Replica of the original Polynesian Voyaging Society membership identity card found in the society’s archives.

2026 membership T-shirt: $100

• Redesign of an original Polynesian Voyaging Society shirt worn on the day of Hōkūleʻa’s launch.

2026 membership poster: $250

• Reissue of an original poster Polynesian Voyaging Society created to fund the building of Hōkūleʻa and her maiden voyage, bringing back an iconic piece of Hōkūleʻa’s history.

More membership details are available at the Polynesian Voyaging Society website.

Honolulu Symphony Orchestra’s “Hōkūleʻa 50”

Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra will be joined by conductor Anthony Parnther, Oʻahu Choral Society and the Polynesian Voyaging Society to present “Hōkūleʻa 50” — the first complete performance of composer Michael-Thomas Foumai’s choral symphony “Raise Hawaiki” — as part of anniversary observances.

Inspired by the legendary voyages of Hōkūleʻa and the words of Eddie Aikau and Nainoa Thompson, the performance traces the trials and triumphs of Polynesian voyaging through music, historical imagery and video from the ongoing Moananuiākea Voyage.

Click here for additional information.

Performance schedule

Blaisdell Concert Hall

Saturday, April 18

• 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.: Pre-concert lobby activities with Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony.
• 11 a.m.: “Hōkūleʻa 50” — ʻOhana performance.
• Noon: Post-concert panel discussion with Polynesian Voyaging Society crew and Michael-Thomas Foumai.

Sunday, April 19

• 3 p.m.: Pre-concert conversation for ticket holders.
• 4 p.m.: “Hōkūleʻa 50” — Masterworks performance.

ʻIolani Palace Kamaʻāina Sunday

ʻIolani Palace celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hōkūleʻa’s first voyage June 14. The day will include entertainment, hula and presentations that honor this significant anniversary.

Hōkūleʻa Film Festival at Inspiration Hawaiʻi Museum

Inspiration Hawaiʻi Museum also on June 14 will screen a curated collection of films and documentaries that tell the story of Hōkūleʻa starting from her creation, the courageous first voyage to Tahiti and generations of navigators, crew members and communities who carried forward the spirit of wayfinding and Mālama Honua. 

“Moananuiākea”: New string quartet by Kanaka Maoli composer

Created by Leilehua Lanzilotti in honor the 50th anniversary of Hōkūleʻa’s first voyage.

Performances of the work will be supplemented by community activities and educational resources around the subject of Polynesian voyaging.

Public engagement in Hawaiʻi, California and in New York will provide opportunities for audience members to participate in volunteer activities related to caring for the ocean, as an extension of the mission of Hōkūleʻa and the inspiration for Lanzilotti’s artistic work.

This project was awarded a 2025 Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grant.

Featured events

• Saturday, May 23: Volunteer workday at Paepae o Heʻeia, In partnership with Ocean Music Action, followed by lunch and a short musical performance.
• Saturday, July 11: Del Sol Quartet performs the World Premiere of “Moananuiākea” at Angel Island Immigration Station Detention Barracks Museum in Bel Tiburon, Calif. The event is free with admission, which is $5 for adults or $3 for youth. 

Click here for more information.

Celebration and fundraiser

These events will culminate with a special community celebration and fundraising event in July. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Hōkūleʻa Commemorative Book

Polynesian Voyaging Society, in partnership with Bess Press Inc., plans to release the society’s first Hōkūleʻa commemorative book later this year, with the hope that households and schools can hold her close and be inspired by this legendary waʻa that revived a deep cultural tradition, ignited pride in Hawaiʻi and across Polynesia and created a movement that shines a light of respect on indigenous knowledge and the caring for our island earth.

The book will feature more than 50 years of images, many of which the public has never seen before, as well as voices of many who created her, cared for her and sailed her.

Fundraising: Reclaiming and Preserving the Hōkūleʻa Story

Fundraising efforts in 2026 will also focus on Polynesian Voyaging Society gaining ownership of its history by acquiring foundational media assets, including iconic imagery from its earliest voyages.

Polynesian Voyaging Society aims to build a publicly accessible archive to support education, research and storytelling for generations to come.

Why this moment matters

The 1976 voyage of Hōkūleʻa was far more than a successful ocean crossing.

It was a cultural awakening.

At a time when Hawaiian language, traditions and identity were under threat, Hōkūleʻa’s journey affirmed the brilliance of indigenous knowledge systems. The voyage became a cornerstone of the Hawaiian Renaissance, reigniting cultural pride, helping revitalize language and practice and restoring a sense of dignity and self-determination among Native Hawaiians and Pacific peoples.

“The 1976 voyage of Hōkūleʻa was not just about reaching Tahiti, it was about remembering who we are,” said pwo navigator and Polynesian Voyaging Society Chief Executive Officer Nainoa Thompson in a release about the upcoming anniversary events. “At a time when our culture and identity were on the verge of extinction, Hōkūleʻa proved the intelligence, courage and deep wisdom of our ancestors.

“Fifty years later, this anniversary calls us to honor those who came before us and to recommit ourselves to remembering our teachers, caring for our ocean, our home and future generations.”

Historic 1976 timeline

• May 1: Departure from Honolua Bay, Maui
• June 1: Landfall at Mataiva, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia
• June 4: Arrival in Papeʻete Harbor, Tahiti, French Polynesia
• July 8: Departure from Tahiti (return voyage to Hawaiʻi)
• July 26: Arrival at Magic Island, Oʻahu

1976 crew members, Hawai‘i-Tahiti:

• Navigator Mau Piailug
• Clifford Ah Mow
• Shorty Bertelmann
• Ben Finney
• Tommy Holmes
• Sam Kalalau
• Boogie Kalama
• Kawika Kapahulehua
• Buffalo Keaulana
• John Kruse
• Dukie Kuahulu
• David Lewis
• Dave Lyman
• Billy Richards
• Rodo Williams

1976 Crew Members, Tahiti-Hawai‘i:

• Snake Ah Hee
• Andy Espirito
• Kawika Kapahulehua
• Mel Kinney
• Kainoa Lee
• Kimo Lyman
• Gordon Pi‘ianai‘a
• Leonard Puputauiki
• Penny Rawlins
• Keani Reiner
• Nainoa Thompson
• Maka‘ala Yates
• Ben Young

Visit the Polynesian Voyaging Society website for the latest updates about events commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hōkūleʻa’s maiden voyage.