Paradise Cove Luau, the oceanfront spectacle at Ko Olina in Kapolei, is set to stage its final performance on Dec. 31, 2025, closing the book on decades of nightly shows, imu ceremonies and sunset hulas. The shutdown will end one of Oʻahu’s best known visitor draws and push long-time performers, servers and production crews into job searches as developers move ahead with plans to redo the shoreline parcel.
Final Curtain Call And How Many Jobs Are On The Line
Operator PC Services Inc. has told staff that 167 employees will be terminated when the venue goes dark at the end of 2025, according to Pacific Business News. Local television coverage has painted an even starker picture, with Hawaii News Now reporting that about 172 employees received 60-day notices from management.
The operator runs Paradise Cove under a lease with landowner James Campbell Company, which is steering plans for a major new project on the site.
‘The Cove’ Project Aims To Remake The Waterfront
Developers have submitted a Final Environmental Impact Statement for a project dubbed “The Cove,” which would replace the current luau grounds with restaurants, retail, cultural programming spaces and an oceanfront performing-arts amphitheater, according to the FEIS. Project documents describe a roughly $135 million redevelopment that would cut nightly luau seating from about 1,200 to roughly 650.
The filings also anticipate about 484 full-time jobs once the new complex is up and running, according to project materials. James Campbell Company, the property owner, says additional permits and reviews are still required before any construction can begin.
Workers Brace For Impact As Support Efforts Ramp Up
Employees told reporters they received 60-day notices and described operator and landowner representatives coordinating job fairs and other resources for displaced staff, Hawaii News Now reported. Musician Liuaki Taufa, who has spent decades performing at the leeward shore venue, summed up the mood simply: “I get two more months to do my best,” he told the station…