Sponsored Content | Presented by OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort
Eleven young dancers from nine hālau gather on Maui Oct. 9-10 for the 34th annual competition.
By Maui Nō Ka ʻOi Staff
Archival 2025: Elizabeth Kamaile Kahailihauwelo Kekahuna. Courtesy OUTRIGGER / Hula O Nā Keiki.
Eleven haumāna take the stage at Keōpūolani Hale at Kamehameha Schools Maui on Oct. 9-10, 2026, for the 34th annual Hula O Nā Keiki.
Friday features hula kahiko. Saturday brings hula ʻauana and awards. The two-day competition also asks dancers ages 6-17 to meet privately with judges and explain the meaning of their mele and hula.
Presented by OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, the 2026 field includes dancers from Maui, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. All 11 haumāna will bring mele of Maui to the stage.
VIP — $60 / person / day
Close seating by the stage + special gifts from event partners.
General admission — $30. Choose VIP or GA on FareHarbor below.
Event details
When: Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Where: Keōpūolani Hale, Kamehameha Schools Maui, 270 ʻAʻapueo Parkway, Pukalani
Friday: Hula kahiko
Saturday: Hula ʻauana and awards
Livestream: Planned through MELE.com
Tickets:
VIP — $60 per person, per day — seating close to the stage plus special gifts from event partners.
General admission — $30 — current inventory on the FareHarbor ticket calendar above.
Mele of Maui in 2026
Every 2026 participant will perform mele of Maui. The competition asks young dancers to know the language, music and meaning carried in their hula.
Archival 2025: Sophia Grace Kalehuaʻulaokalaniākea Caparso. Courtesy OUTRIGGER / Hula O Nā Keiki.
Hula O Nā Keiki began at Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel in 1990. As Maui Nō Ka ʻOi reported in 2011, cultural staff members Akoni Akana and Kanoʻeau Delatori proposed a children’s solo competition judged by respected kumu hula from around Hawaiʻi – an idea that grew from the hotel’s Poʻokela cultural program.
This year the stage moves from OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort to Keōpūolani Hale at Kamehameha Schools Maui.
The 2026 haumāna
Eleven dancers from nine hālau
Maui
Callie Kozuki
Hālau Hula O Keola Aliʻiokekai
Kumu Hula Iola Balubar
June Wu
Hālau Hula O Keola Aliʻiokekai
Kumu Hula Iola Balubar
Waianu Kaleiomakaliʻi Hall
Hālau Hula Kauluokalā
Nā Kumu Hula Uluwehi Guerrero and Kaui Krueger
Paisley Keira Cabico
Pukalani Hula Hale
Kumu Hula Hiʻilei Maxwell-Juan
Madison Hana Delmore Fukuda
Pukalani Hula Hale
Kumu Hula Hiʻilei Maxwell-Juan
ʻIhikolonahe Sheilo Maxwell
Hālau Keʻalaokamaile
Nā Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel and Henohea Kāne
Makalapua Kahula
Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka
Kumu Hula Nāpua Silva
Archival 2025: Helena Kahinano Lehuakonakauikalani Mahelona. Courtesy OUTRIGGER / Hula O Nā Keiki.
Oʻahu
Isaac Kazuyuki Kauahikaua Woodward
Ka Pā Hula ʻO Kawaihoʻomalu
Kumu Hula Kū Koanui-Souza
Keolaokalani Ah Wong
Ka Lā ʻŌnohi Mai O Haʻehaʻe
Nā Kumu Hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes
Jadynn-Kalena Makanauʻimaikalanimai Young
Hālau Nā Maka O Ka Lauaʻe
Kumu Hula Lauaʻe Yamasaki
Hawaiʻi Island
Laci Jade Kaimuloa Bates
Hālau Kalaʻakeakauikawēkiu
Kumu Hula Kenneth Dean Alohapumehanaokalā Victor
Emcee and judges
Kumu Hula Cody Pueo Pata returns as master of ceremonies. The 2026 judges are Kumu Hula Hōkūlani Holt, Kumu Hula Māpuana Kekahuna Aarona, Kumu Hula Moses Kahoʻokele Crabbe, Kumu Hula Māpuana de Silva and Kumu Hula Leimomi Ho.
Judges watch the public performances and also meet each dancer privately. In those interviews, haumāna talk through the meaning of their mele and hula, their connection to Hawaiian culture, and why they dance.
Archival 2025: Krysta Valite. Courtesy OUTRIGGER / Hula O Nā Keiki.
How the competition is judged
Recent competitions have recognized hula kahiko, hula ʻauana, oli and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, interviews, costume and adornment, music and kumu preparation. Categories can change from year to year.
Verified 2026 results and approved event photography will join the permanent Hula O Nā Keiki archive after the competition.
EXPLORE HULA O NĀ KEIKI
Back to the Hula O Nā Keiki hub
FAQ
What happens on Friday and Saturday?
Friday features hula kahiko. Saturday features hula ʻauana and the awards ceremony.
How old are the dancers?
The solo competition is for dancers ages 6-17.
Are tickets available?
Yes. General admission is $30. VIP is $60 per person, per day and includes seating close to the stage plus special gifts from event partners. Current inventory is on the FareHarbor ticket calendar above.
Will Hula O Nā Keiki be livestreamed?
A livestream is planned through MELE.com.
Maui Nō Ka ʻOi may earn a commission when you buy tickets through links on this page.