Best Big Island Lū‘au For Your 2023 Vacation
From Polynesian delicacies to daring fire dances—these Big Island lū‘au are sure to give you an unforgettable experience.
An authentic Hawaiian lū‘au is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in all that makes Hawaiʻi and our neighboring South Pacific islands so special. Here are six of the best Big Island lū‘au to book now for your next trip to Hawai‘i Island.
1. Legends of Hawaiʻi Lū‘au, Hilton Waikoloa Village
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The Legends of Hawai’i Lū‘au is more than a night of dining and live music. This outdoor dining experience at Hilton Waikoloa Village is an incredible Hawaiʻi Island lū‘au that begins with an interactive lei greeting and coconut husking. Before the show, enjoy a lesson in ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and hula noho that will deepen your appreciation for this gracefully complex art of storytelling. As the pulsating sound of Polynesian drums fill the air, the torch runners light the Kamehameha Court torches and a Hawaiian blessing opens the festivities. While you feast on a tropical buffet with dishes crafted from traditional island ingredients, hula dancers unveil the true magic of Hawaiʻi.
Pricing: For general seating, $171.14 adults; $84.74 children (ages 5 to 12)*; children 4 and under* are free. For Aliʻi seating, $198.20 adult; $111.59 children (ages 5 to 12)*; children 4 and under* are free. *Must book with an adult. Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, 5 to 8 p.m., 69-425 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa, (808) 886-1234, hiltonwaikoloavillage.com
READ MORE: The Best Lū‘au on O‘ahu
2. Lūʻau at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Photo courtesy of Mauna Kea Resort
Get caught up in the sound of the surf harmonizing with soulful steel guitars at the Lū‘au at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Created in the 1960s for Newsweek magazine, this Hawaiʻi lū‘au has stood the test of time as one of the best lū‘au on Big Island. Your keiki (kids) will love tasting finger-licking poi and melt-in-your-mouth poke for the first time. And we don’t blame you if you pile sashimi, lomi salmon, pineapple and papaya onto your plate. If the highlight of your night isn’t the delicious Hawaiʻi Island lū‘au food, the Polynesian entertainment certainly will be. Make your own hula debut dancing with other guests to the “Hukilau” then sit back and let the fire dancing thrill you at one of the top Big Island lū‘au.
Pricing: For show only, $130 adults; $94 children (ages 5 to 12). For general seating, $180 adults; $120 children (ages 5 to 12). For premium seating, $200 adult; $140 children (ages 5 to 12). For all seating, children ages 4 and under are free. Tuesdays and Fridays, 5:10 to 8 p.m., 62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Drive, Kohala, (808) 882-5707, maunakearesort.com
READ MORE: The Best Hotels on Hawaiʻi Island, According to our Editors
3. Voyagers of the Pacific, Royal Kona Resort
Photo courtesy of Kona Lū‘au
History comes to life at the Royal Kona Resort’s Voyagers of the Pacific lū‘au. After receiving a shell lei and capturing photos of the sun setting over sparkling Kailua Bay, visitors can savor succulent kālua pig cooked in a traditional imu (underground oven), as well as other Hawaiʻi Island lū‘au food at the all-you-can-eat buffet. There is an open bar throughout the evening, so sip on a mai tai as stories of ancient Polynesians traveling across the ocean to the Big Island unfold before you. After an evening of enjoying the flavors and rhythms of Hawaiʻi and the South Pacific, the lyrical revue ends with the thrilling Samoan fire knife dance, making this Big Island lū‘au a favorite among families.
Pricing: General seating: $169.60 adults; $56.19 children (ages 6 to 11); children 5 and under are free. VIP seating: $212 adults; $108.65 children (ages 6 to 11); $42.40 children 5 and under. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 4:45 to 8 p.m., 75-5852 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, (877) 631-9793, konaluau.com.
4. Island Breeze Lū‘au, Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel
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Take a trip back in time to the shores of Kamakahonu Bay and Ahuena, Kamehameha the Great’s former estate in Kailua-Kona, for the Island Breeze Lū’au at the Courtyard Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Beginning with the arrival of King Kamehameha’s royal court on an outrigger canoe, the lū‘au’s “He Ohana Kakou” (We are ‘Ohana) production honors the stories and traditions passed down by families throughout the Polynesian islands. What follows is a night of culture and crafts, including a hula lesson. Guests of this beachfront lū’au enjoy a buffet fitted with kālua pork, lomi salmon, sweet haupia and more. After dinner is the stunning Polynesian Revue, which includes Fijian and Māori dances of war that will likely be the highlight of an unforgettable evening.
Pricing: $169 adults; $84.50 children (ages 4 to 12); children 3 and under are free. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., 75-5660 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona, (886) 482-9775, islandbreezeluau.com
5. Sunset Lūʻau, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
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Celebrate the distinctive culture of the Kohala Coast at what continues to be one of the best lū‘au on the Big Island, the Sunset Lū‘au at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. The evening begins with an imu ceremony, followed by a dinner punctuated by contemporary and Hawaiian dishes made from the finest local ingredients, as well as a full open bar. As the sun sets over beautiful ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay, you’ll be swept up in a delightful display of hula and song that showcases the music and traditions of Tahiti, New Zealand and Hawaiʻi that culminates in a mesmerizing Samoan fire dance.
Pricing: General seating: $157.74 adults; $78.59 children (ages 6 to 12). Premier seating: $190.62 adults; $111.47 children (ages 6 to 12). For all seating, children ages 5 and under are free. Mondays and Wednesdays, 5 to 8 p.m., 69-275 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa Beach, (808) 886-8111, thesunsetluau.com
6. Feast & Fire Lūʻau, Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa
Photo courtesy of Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa
Discover Hawaiian culture at Kona’s newest dinner and Hawaiian lū’au show, Feast & Fire, at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa. Located on 22 acres of scenic oceanfront at Keauhou Bay, the dynamic dinner show pays homage to the Polynesians who first landed in Hawai’i through lūʻau food, heart-pumping music, hula, and fire dancing. As the sun sets, participate in hula lessons, storytelling and the torch lighting ceremony before indulging in a feast under the stars. The tantalizing menu features a full bar with beer, wine, and signature mai tais, as well as pineapple upside-down cake, haupia and other decadent desserts.
Pricing: General seating: $160 adults; $80 children (ages 6 to 12). Ali’i private seating: $200 adults; $100 children (ages 6 to 12). For all seating, children ages 5 and under are free. Mondays and Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m., 78-128 Ehukai Street, Kailua-Kona, (808) 930-4900, outrigger.com
Every experience, product or service is independently chosen by our writers and editors. We may receive compensation for bookings and purchases made through our links.
