Partner Content. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Kai Marina Community Association
Mary Dominis, a sea captain’s wife who later became the mother-in-law of Queen Lili‘uokalani, brought the first Christmas tree and costumed Santa Claus to Hawai‘i in 1858. She invited a “large number of children and their parents” to Washington Place in Honolulu to receive gifts from Santa and ogle the candle-lit tree, according to a contemporary newspaper report.
Now the official governor’s residence, Washington Place decks its halls with multiple Christmas trees and Victorian-inspired decorations for the holidays, and holds a popular Christmas Open House one night every December. Reservations are required for free guided tours, which take place Dec. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m., but if you miss it, don’t worry—Honolulu has plenty of other holiday traditions to enjoy.
You have all of December to view Honolulu City Lights, the extravagant light display at Honolulu Hale (City Hall), which includes a 50-foot illuminated tree, the giant figures of Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele (the local version of Santa and Mrs. Claus) and food vendors such as Leonard’s Malasadas and Sausage Fest Hawai‘i. This year marks the 41st anniversary of the event, which has a commemorative ornament each year and includes special nights such Dec. 18, when Hawaiian Airlines serenaders and dancers will perform at 6:15 p.m., and Dec. 19, when Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance serves free cookies and milk. The grounds open at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. daily, with lights on from sunset to sunrise.
The Waikiki Trolley Holiday Lights Tour makes it easy for visitors and residents to take in Honolulu City Lights from a double decker open-air trolley that spends an hour at Honolulu Hale. It departs at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. through Dec. 30 from Aloha Tower (with an inexpensive shuttle from Waikiki) and includes free hot cocoa, games and activities, and a photo op with Santa. Tickets start at $25 for children and $35 for adults.
This year also marks the 28th Festival of Lights Christmas Boat Parade at the Hawaii Kai Marina, which starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 13 near Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. And speaking of shopping, the 10th anniversary edition of the Mele Kalikimaka Marketplace features nearly 300 vendors of local food, crafts, gift baskets, jewelry and other possible holiday presents at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 13 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 14. Admission is $7 adults, $5 for students and seniors, and free for children 12 and under with a paid adult.
For many people, holiday shows by the islands’ top musical acts have become beloved traditions. Some of the most popular ones are at Blue Note Hawaii, the acoustic gem of a nightclub found inside OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort. Ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro performs his “Holidays in Hawai‘i” concert with singer-singer Justin Kawika Young and bassist Jackson Waldoff at the Blue Note twice nightly Dec. 16-19.
Singer-songwriter Kimié Miner, a Native Hawaiian artist influenced by jazz, R&B and reggae as well as Hawaiian music, follows with two performances of her “Christmas in Hawai‘i” concert Dec. 20 at the Blue Note, while Hawai‘i Island-based husband and wife Kala‘e and Kalena Parish mix country music with Christmas classics in “Kala‘e+Kalena+Kalikimaka” on Dec. 21. Tickets to those shows are $35 to $55, plus a $20 minimum for food and drink (full dinner menu available).
On Dec. 24 and 25, jazz trumpeter Mike Lewis brings a local all-star lineup of musicians to the Blue Note for his ninth annual “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” featuring the music of Vince Guaraldi and other holiday standards. There are two performances a night, with tickets $34 to $46, including fees, plus the $20 food/drink minimum.
Fans of Hawaiian music and hula will want to book a seat for Robert Cazimero’s Christmas Concert Dec. 16-20 at Chef Chai restaurant. The $125 ticket includes a 6:30 p.m. show by the celebrated musician and kumu hula and a four-course Asian fusion dinner with a variety of options. Cazimero and his late brother Roland began performing Hawaiian music as the Brothers Cazimero in the 1970s and performed many Christmas shows over the decades with the Honolulu Symphony and on their own, always accompanied by hula, of course.
Honolulu’s historic Hawaii Theatre was the brothers’ usual venue for holiday concerts. This season it will host the fourth annual “Hawaiian Christmas Show” by award-winning Hawaiian singer-songwriter Kalani Pe‘a, an exuberant affair with additional music by Maui prodigy Jordan Soon and the Sounds of Aloha Chorus, plus hula by Hālau Lilia Makanoe and dance by 24-7 Danceforce Studio.Tickets are $65.50 to $110.50 ($165.50 for a VIP package with meet and greet, CD signing, drink and premium seating).
The newest holiday tradition in Honolulu celebrates its first anniversary this month. While ‘Auana, the innovative Cirque due Soleil production rooted in Hawaiian culture and storytelling, may not have anything to do with Christmas, it’s nevertheless a must-see show for anyone spending the holidays in or near Waikiki, with special discounts for families, island residents and guests of OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, which completely rebuilt its theater for the production.
“We invite locals and visitors alike to experience how ʻAuana honors the stories and culture of our people through the artistic lens of Cirque du Soleil,” said Dr. Aaron J. Salā, cultural creative producer of ʻAuana, when the company announced it would continue performances through 2026. “This production is not just entertainment. It is a testament to the living and vibrant culture of our Hawaiʻi.”
