ʻIolani Palace is turning next Sunday’s free Kamaʻāina gathering into a musical and cultural salute to Kahoʻolawe, with Kimié Miner and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana helping anchor the day. The event gives Honolulu residents a chance to tour the royal palace while connecting with one of Hawaiʻi’s most consequential modern movements for aloha ʻāina.
The celebration runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Sunday, and Hawaii News Now describes it as a free showcase of local culture and music featuring Miner and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. The timing is deliberate: 2026 marks 50 years since the landing that helped ignite the movement to stop military bombing on the sacred island.
Free Palace Access With A Kahoʻolawe Focus
According to ʻIolani Palace, the first 500 attendees can receive self-led audio tours, with one complimentary ticket available per Hawaiʻi resident who shows a valid state ID, driver’s license or other proof of residency. The Richards Street gate opens at 8:30 a.m., giving early arrivals a head start on the palace tour and the day’s workshops.
The posted program includes Kahoʻolawe Renaissance, Hui Haku Mele and a morning performance by Kumu Hula Snowbird Bento and Ka Pā Hula O Ka Lei Lehua. Residents can also try kōnane, floral kūpeʻe making and lauhala weaving, watch Kahoʻolawe films in the Hale Koa video room, or sign up for a limited-seating lei ʻāʻī workshop.
Why The 50-Year Anniversary Matters
The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana’s 2026 calendar frames the gathering around mele and declarations of aloha ʻāina at the palace’s Coronation Pavilion. The anniversary program is part of a yearlong effort to revisit the organization’s history while renewing public attention to stewardship, cultural practice and the future of Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe…