Did you miss some of the Miss Aloha Hula or group performances over the weekend? Check out our photo galleries for a visual summary of the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival.

The second-place overall winner was also a kāne group from Wailuku, Maui, Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, under the direction of Kumu Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes
, with 1,212 points.

SunRa Adziyaomamawu, a senior at Connections Public Charter School in Hilo, photographs the sights and pageantry of the parade that marched through downtown Hilo on Saturday morning, April 11, 2026.

Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo was packed as 29 groups of kāne (men) and wāhine (women) from 19 hula hālau performed hula kahiko to share the moʻolelo of Hawaiʻi with all in attendance.

On kahiko (ancient) night of the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival’s hula competition, Friday, Hālau Kalaʻakeakauikawēkiu, the only group out of 19 competing from the Big Island this year, honored Pele with “Holo Mai Pele.”

Faith Lynn Kealohapauʻole Paredes of Wailuku, Maui, beat out 12 other dancers for Miss Aloha Hula and she also won the Hawaiian Language Award.

There are plenty of activities and events happening around the island during the next week, and not all of them are related to Merrie Monarch Week. Check out the top 10 things to do now!

Captivating performances from kāne celebrate 50 years of history at the Merrie Monarch Hoʻike.

Through stories shared by her family and hula ʻohana, the special highlights the kumu’s lasting impact on hula, her role in elevating Kaua‘i’s cultural identity, and her lifelong commitment to perpetuating Hawaiian culture.

ʻIkena ʻImiloa’s four days of events provides festival goers with more opportunities for Native Hawaiian cultural enrichment and traditions that are centered around ʻike kūpuna (ancestral wisdom).

Hawai’i airports brace for an influx of interisland passengers traveling to Hilo for the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival, ongoing until April 11.

“It’s a place where you can watch a kapa demonstration, see live performances from local hālau and connect with the people behind the art,” said fair co-chairpersons Taylor Escalona and Kegan Miura. “The artisans and volunteers who return year-after-year are truly the heartbeat of this event, and that aloha spirit is something you really can’t replicate anywhere else.”

This year’s official Merrie Monarch apparel showcases kane (male) dancers in an army-green color in honor of the 50th anniversary of men competing in the prestigious hula competition.

Hoʻolauleʻa showcases kāne and wahine dancers of all ages to celebrate hula as a cultural practiced passed on through each generation.

Be sure to add theses special Hawaiian music performances to your Merrie Monarch Week itinerary, which fit perfectly into a week the celebrates all things Hawaiian.

New weeklong gathering at historic Hilo Palace Theater will feature workshops, live performances, mākeke and community event.

Hilo on the Big Island once again becomes the hula capital of the world this week with the return of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival; the 63rd installment of the weeklong celebration of everything hula and Hawaiian runs from Easter Sunday, April 5, through April 11 this year.

In 1976, kumu hula John R. Kahaʻi Topolinski was among the first kumu (teachers) to bring male dancers to compete at the Merrie Monarch stage, helping to end the stigma hula was unmanly.

Annual Hoʻolauleʻa kicks off the weeklong celebration of everything Hawaiian at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 5, with competition in the ‘Super Bowl’ of hula beginning Thursday, April 9, with Miss Aloha Hula contest.

The festival’s capstone is three days of competition, featuring 19 hālau (hula groups) performing kahiko (ancient) and ‘auana (modern) hula to the world, and 13 women competing for Miss Aloha Hula.