The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation alerts travelers of busy times at airports as thousands will go to the Big Island for the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, April 12-15.

Using ipu grown at his farm, Kalim Smith builds ipu heke, a double-gourd drum, and ipu heke ‘ole, a single gourd drum, which are used in ancient hula.

Anyone who violates the quarantine rule may be charged with a misdemeanor and fined not less than $100 with a maximum fine of $10,000.

Although the initial motivation for the Merrie Monarch Festival was to boost the economy of Hawaiʻi island through tourism, this event has come to serve a far greater purpose, which is perpetuating Hawaiian culture.

The action isn’t just at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium and Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium during Merrie Monarch Week on the Big Island. There are several other venues throughout Hilo and East Hawai‘i that will feature hula, music, arts and crafts, Hawaiian cultural events and other entertainment.

Get ready, world. The Merrie Monarch Festival returns next week with full regalia for the first time since 2019, and there’s just two days left until the celebration of hula and everything Hawaiian gets underway.

Tickets for the non-competitive hula exhibition scheduled for Wednesday night, April 12, will be available in person from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or until they are sold out, at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium box office in Hilo.

Hōʻike night of the 60th annual festival that showcases Hawaiian culture and hula is April 12 at Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo.

The Merrie Monarch Festival will be back to its full glory in April 2023, celebrating its 60th anniversary of showcasing hula and Hawaiian culture — and the world can’t wait.

The Merrie Monarch hula competition kicked off Thursday night with Miss Aloha Hula at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo.

Smiles. Laughter. Hugs. ‘Ohana. Aloha. Even a few tears — of joy. And that was all before walking in.

A limited live audience returned to the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium Wednesday for the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival’s Hōʻike night.

Periodic road closures for the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo are slated to start today at noon.

Big Island police are informing the public of a change in traffic pattern for a street in Hilo during the upcoming Merrie Monarch Festival.

An event in conjunction with the Merrie Monarch Festival that showcases and supports Hawai‘i artisans and creators while celebrating hula and Hawaiian culture returns this year and is welcoming everyone back in person.

With the return of the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, other events that coincide with the event throughout the community also are coming back, including at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

Merrie Monarch Festival moves forward with its regular presentation and 59th anniversary – after a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no live audience in 2021. Some live audience will be allowed this year and only a fraction of tickets were sold to the public.

A Honolulu news outlet reported shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday, April 3, that a beloved kumu hula from the Big Island has died.

Merrie Monarch Festival’s Hōʻike Night is sold out.

The 2022 Merrie Monarch Festival is welcoming the public back this year for its Wednesday night Hōʻike — but not for free.