Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi gathers people at Ala Moana Beach Park on Memorial Day to place remembrances and prayers on lanterns. The ceremony is open across beliefs and backgrounds, but it is a remembrance first, not a festival backdrop.

The official ceremony page now lists Monday, May 31, 2027, with the Lantern Tent open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. Treat that page as the schedule owner; check it again before building the day around those times.

Shinnyo-en hosts the ceremony as a shared act of remembrance and peace. The program includes the sounding of the pū, taiko, oli, hula, and six large Guiding Lanterns carrying collective prayers.

Individual lanterns are distributed free at the Lantern Request Tent on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. The tent’s posted hours are not a promise that lanterns will remain available until closing. A second option is to add a message to a Collective Remembrance Lantern that volunteers float from canoes.

The evening ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. A conch shell sounds across the beach. Shinnyo Taiko drummers perform. Hula dancers take the stage. The program builds slowly and deliberately toward the main event.

At sunset, candlelit lanterns are released onto the water. Give participants room, keep pathways clear, and treat the floating area as part of the ceremony rather than a photography position.

After the ceremony, all lanterns are collected from the water by volunteers in canoes and kayaks. No debris is left behind. The cleanup is part of the ceremony’s design — respect for the ocean is built into the ritual.

Memorial Day Weekend in Hawaii: How to Plan

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Start with the official attendance page. Read the current in-person instructions, including accessibility details and the distinction between Individual and Collective Remembrance lanterns.

Transportation: Do not assume a normal park-and-walk visit. Use the event’s current parking page and TheBus trip planner on the day you go; road controls, bus stops, and pickup areas can change for a major gathering. Arrange a post-ceremony meeting point before the crowd begins moving.

What to bring: Beach blanket or low chairs, water, snacks, sunscreen for the afternoon wait. No alcohol is allowed in the park.

Photography: Bring a tripod if you have one. The lantern release at dusk is low-light — phone cameras struggle without stabilization. The best shots come from slightly elevated positions or along the waterline.

Military families: A dedicated lantern request line with shorter waits is available for active-duty service members, Guard, reservists, veterans, retired military, and immediate family. Valid military ID is required.

The organizer maintains a Watch the Ceremony page with the latest broadcast and archived programs. Use that page rather than an old channel or television link.

You can also submit an online remembrance in advance at lanternfloatinghawaii.com. Your message will be placed on a lantern and floated during the ceremony even if you are thousands of miles away.

This makes the event meaningful even if your Hawaiʻi trip does not coincide with Memorial Day. Submit a remembrance from home and watch the livestream at sunset HST.

Volunteer roles and registration windows change each year. Check the organizer’s current site before assuming applications are open. If no current volunteer call is posted, participate through a lantern or Collective Remembrance message instead.

Memorial Day schedules and lodging totals vary by year. Price the complete stay for your dates, then protect the ceremony evening from a long cross-island drive or a nonrefundable activity.

The lantern itself is free and first-come, first-served while supplies last; that is different from a guaranteed reservation. Other Oʻahu observances may include programs at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl), but confirm the current official schedule before going.

For the full rundown on the holiday weekend — Pearl Harbor ceremonies, crowd strategies, what to book now — read our Memorial Day Weekend in Hawaiʻi 2026 guide.

If you are still booking accommodation, compare rates on Booking.com for Honolulu hotels. And if you need a rental car for the weekend, Discount Hawaii Car Rental consistently offers competitive island rates.