Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: Aug. 14–20, 2025
Watch South Shore sports, laugh with a dynamic duo, listen to a Grammy Award winner, attend an after-hours swim party and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Raising Cane’s Going to the Dogs Surfur Competition
Duke’s OceanFest
Friday, Aug. 15, to Sunday, Aug. 24
Watch the action in the waves of Waikīkī as part of this annual festival honoring Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, the legendary Olympian, waterman and ambassador of aloha. There will be surf contests, an outrigger canoe regatta, beach volleyball matches, an open ocean swim race, a hydrofoil challenge and the crowd-favorite dog surfing contest.
Family-friendly, free, Waikīkī, dukesoceanfest.com, @dukes_oceanfest
SEE ALSO: Your Insider Guide to the 31st Made in Hawai‘i Festival
Amy Hill & Alec Mapa in Hollywood/Kine
Friday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m.
When these two Asian-American comedy powerhouses team up, hilarity ensues. You may know Amy from her roles in Lilo & Stitch and Magnum P.I. and will recognize Alec from RuPaul’s Drag Race and Doom Patrol. Expect an evening of laughter, storytelling and cultural pride.
18+, $60.50 to $80.50, Hawai‘i Theatre Center, 1130 Bethel St., Chinatown, hawaiitheatre.com, @hawaiitheatre
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Photo: Lorne Direnfeld
Pōpoloheno: Songs of Resilience & Joy
Saturday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Honoring African-descended people in Hawaiian history, this one-night-only concert features Grammy Award winner Kalani Pe‘a, Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winners Kamakakēhau Fernandez and Patrick Landeza, Ikaika Blackburn, jazz vocalist Azure McCall, as well as composer Māhealani Uchiyama and her Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine.
$10–$40, Leeward Community College, Leeward Theatre, 96-045 Ala ‘Ike St., Pearl City, leeward.hawaii.edu/theatre, @leewardtheatre
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Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival – Keiki Kine
Saturday, Aug. 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Listen to the next generation carry on the traditions of this iconic instrument as they play classic and contemporary Hawaiian tunes. The recital features young musicians ages 12–18 from Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music.
Family-friendly, free, Kāhala Mall, 4211 Wai‘alae Ave., Kāhala, hawaiiansteelguitarfestival.com
SEE ALSO: 12 Awesome First-Time Made in Hawai‘i Festival Vendors You Don’t Want to Miss
Photo: Courtesy of Wet n Wild Hawai‘i
Adult Swim: Y2K Glowdown Edition
Saturday, Aug. 16, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Celebrate the end of summer at this adults-only swim party with an early 2000s nostalgic twist. Enjoy nighttime waterslides, mechanical skateboard riding, sumo suit battles, glow foam, dancing and DJ beats, such as Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” and Nelly’s “Hot in Herre.” Think: nightclub meets waterpark.
Ages 21+, $29.99 regular general admission, $79.99 VIP admission, Wet ’n’ Wild Hawai‘i, 400 Farrington Highway, Kapolei, wetnwildhawaii.com, @wetnwildhawaii
SEE ALSO: Save the Date: Can’t-Miss Family-Friendly Events on O‘ahu in 2025
Laura Dornbush is a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine.
