Arts & Entertainment
Meet the artists and craftspeople keeping Hawaiâi traditions alive
Hawaiâi is filled with talented, passionate artists and performers. In recent months weâve featured an âukulele maker, sculptors, hula performers, Native Hawaiian language experts, anime cosplayers, symphony musicians, local filmmakers, Okinawan drummers, musical theatre performers, and more. Weâve covered film festivals, comedy acts, live theater and classical concerts and more. This is where youâll also find news about TV shows and movies filmed in the Islands or about Hawaiâi, and the actors attached to them. Venues matter, too, and weâll update readers on improvements such as the recent upgrades to the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall and the WaikÄ«kÄ« Shell.
News
Jason Momoa talks âChief of Warâ
âThis was my lifeâs goal to do this,â said the actor, who wrote the nine-part mini-series with Thomas PaÊ»a Sibbett for Apple TV+. Momoa talks about surprises and what it means to play the warrior KaÊ»iana in a story about the unification of the Islands in this exclusive interview with Aloha State Daily.
Katie HellandSeptember 19, 2025
Movie âChaperone,â filmed in Hilo, hits Consolidated Theatres
This independent film, written and directed by Hawaiâi Island-based ZoĂ« Eisenberg, is an age-gap story. Set in Hilo, it explores the motives of a 29-year-old woman who decides she has nothing to lose in pursuing a relationship with a teenager.
Katie HellandSeptember 11, 2025
TĆ«tĆ«âs Place by Highway Inn is a new cafe at Bishop Museum
The new cafe is inspired by traditions passed down from kĆ«puna, and emphasizes comfort, hospitality and family recipes. Youâll find some of Highway Innâs signature dishes â including that famous Hawaiian plate with kÄlua pig â along with cafe exclusives.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaSeptember 26, 2025
Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra offers free ocean-themed concert
Want to take your keiki to the symphony? Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra is teaming up with the University of Hawaiʻi on this free concert themed around the ocean that includes animations, storytelling and hula.
Katie HellandSeptember 26, 2025
Lopaka Kapanui brings ghost stories to Hawaiʻi Theatre
What do ghosts, storytellers and the symphony have in common? They will be gathering for a one-night-only show at Hawaiʻi Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 18. Storyteller Lopaka Kapanui shares a behind-the-scenes look at his upcoming collaboration with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra.
Katie HellandSeptember 25, 2025
âDa Mayahâ extends shows at MÄnoa Valley Theatre
Playwright Lee Cataluna started writing after a trip to New York City, where she watched a show on Broadway. Now, her first play, âDa Mayah,â is back on stage in Honolulu and several of the original cast members from the 1998 production are in it. Learn about the moment when she was âstrangely braveâ and decided to write.
Katie HellandSeptember 24, 2025
Uni, Aloha Festivals, and live music: Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 28
Looking for fun plans this weekend? From food recommendations to live music, Aloha State Daily has you covered. Here are a few ways you can spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Katie HellandSeptember 24, 2025
Tickets on sale for Hawaiʻi International Film Festival
The festival includes events on OÊ»ahu, HawaiÊ»i Island, Maui, KauaÊ»i, LÄnaÊ»i and MolokaÊ»i. This is the only Academy Awards-qualifying film festival in the state. Events start Oct. 15. Tickets are now on sale for individual movies or passes to all movie screenings.
Katie HellandSeptember 23, 2025
Three movies â and one tv series â to watch
Looking for something to watch? These movies feature scenes shot in Hawaiʻi or ties to the Islands and run in Consolidated Theatres through Sept. 25.
Katie HellandSeptember 19, 2025
Watch âThe Paper Bag Planâ at Consolidated Theatres
This independent film opens in Consolidated Theatres at Ward this week. The movieâs executive producer, KeÊ»alohi Lee Lucero, graduated from Kamehameha Schools and the University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄnoa. Her parents make a cameo in the film and still live on LÄnaÊ»i.
Katie HellandSeptember 19, 2025
Screenwriter Thomas PaÊ»a Sibbett shares behind-the-scenes for âChief of Warâ
Thomas PaÊ»a Sibbett grew up in Washington and focused on Hawaiian Studies at Brigham Young University â HawaiÊ»i. Now, he is teaming up with Jason Momoa for an Apple TV+ mini-series about the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.
Katie HellandSeptember 18, 2025
Slack key guitar, barbecue and acai: What to do Friday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 21
Itâs a foodie weekend! Enjoy a barbecue that supports student scholarships at Windward Community College and a sweet deal on acai on OÊ»ahu's east side. Or catch live music and stage performances. Aloha State Daily did the research so you donât have to. Read this list of 12 things to do this weekend and start planning fun.
Katie HellandSeptember 17, 2025