The 43rd Pan-Pacific Festival ran June 12-14, 2026, from Ala Moana Center to Waikīkī under the theme “Celebrating One Ocean, Many Cultures.” Free public events brought hula, music and cultural performances from Japan and the Pacific Rim, a Kalākaua Avenue block party, and a Waikīkī parade into one weekend. (Pan-Pacific Festival — 2026 Dates & Theme)

I’d use this page as a 2026 archive, not a current event schedule. Confirm future festival dates, venues, and road closures with the organizer before building a trip around them.

Annual Festivals Information & More | Oahu Hawaii

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The Pan-Pacific Festival is a free public cultural festival spread across Waikīkī and Ala Moana Center. Its format puts public stages, street activity, food booths, and an international parade within the same June weekend. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Events)

The festival began in 1980 as “Matsuri in Hawaii,” built around cultural exchange between Hawaiʻi and Japan and opportunities to experience traditional Japanese culture. (Pan-Pacific Festival — About Us)

In 1996, Matsuri in Hawaii became the Pan-Pacific Festival as its scope widened to include cultures within Hawaiʻi’s multicultural community. The event returned in 2024 after a five-year hiatus. (Hawaiʻi News Now — Pan-Pacific Festival Returns)

The Pan-Pacific Festival Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The 2026 festival received support through the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Signature Events Program and paired visiting Japanese groups with Hawaiʻi-based performers. (Pan-Pacific Festival Foundation)

The weekend opened with the Pan-Pacific Hoʻolauleʻa, a street festival on Kalākaua Avenue between Seaside and Uluniu Avenues. An event-specific notice placed the road-closure start at 5:30 p.m.; the public block party ran from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The program included a Bon Dance, performance stages, and food booths. (Road Closure — 43rd Annual Pan Pacific Hoʻolauleʻa) (Pan-Pacific Hoʻolauleʻa)

Kalākaua turned into a pedestrian corridor for the evening, with multiple performance stages. (Pan-Pacific Festival — 2026 Dates & Theme) (Pan-Pacific Hoʻolauleʻa)

The Hula Festival also opened Friday, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound near the Duke Kahanamoku Statue. Hula hālau from across Japan performed alongside a local Honolulu hālau’s daily exhibition. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Hula Festival)

Saturday carried the densest showcase schedule, with programming at Ala Moana Center and International Market Place before the evening hula program in Waikīkī. Final 2026 schedules remain posted in the festival archive. (Ala Moana Center — Pan-Pacific Festival Schedule) (Pan-Pacific Festival — Schedule)

Japanese and local groups brought hula, taiko, dance, and Pacific-Rim programming to the two venues. I would not treat Ala Moana Center and International Market Place as a quick venue hop: they are roughly two miles apart, with about 1.7 miles of walking between them. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Venues) (Ala Moana Center to International Market Place)

The Hula Festival continued Saturday from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound. At four and a half hours, it was the longest Hula Festival session of the weekend. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Hula Festival)

Sunday’s schedule kept cultural performances running at Ala Moana Center and International Market Place before the parade closed the festival weekend. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Performing Art Showcase) (Pan-Pacific Festival — Events)

The parade began at 5:00 p.m. near Fort DeRussy Park and traveled down Kalākaua Avenue to Queen Kapiʻolani Park. Cultural performers, floats, and marching bands filled the route. Road controls began before the parade, but anyone planning around a future event should verify current closure timing. (Pan-Pacific Parade)

The final Hula Festival session ran from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Hula Festival)

The 2026 parade route followed Kalākaua Avenue from Fort DeRussy to Queen Kapiʻolani Park. The festival’s main viewing and emcee stand sat in front of the Moana Surfrider. (Pan-Pacific Parade)

For a future parade using a similar route, I’d choose a viewing block before the start and arrive 30 to 45 minutes early for sidewalk space. Crowds bunch near hotel entrances and intersections, so one block can feel calm while the next feels like a bottleneck.

Fort DeRussy offered a view near the route’s start. Queen Kapiʻolani Park gave spectators a different angle near the finish.

All 2026 festival events were free to the public. (Pan-Pacific Festival — FAQ)

The festival footprint stretched from Ala Moana to Waikīkī. I’d walk within Waikīkī, but I’d budget real travel time between Ala Moana Center and International Market Place. As of this archive update, TheBus lists Routes 2, 8, and 42 for Waikīkī service; the W Line may also fit some origins. Skyline does not reach Ala Moana Center or Waikīkī: its eastern terminus is Kahauiki/Kalihi Transit Center Station, where riders transfer to bus service. (TheBus — Waikiki Visitor Guide) (Honolulu DTS — Modified TheBus Routes) (Honolulu DTS — Skyline Stations and Parking)

Festival road closures reshaped Kalākaua Avenue on Friday and Sunday. Before driving through Waikīkī for a future festival, check the organizer’s current road-closure guidance. Honolulu DTS and HPD control closures, and requested times can change. (Pan-Pacific Festival — FAQ)

Parking: Check the current garage, hotel, or parking-operator listing before driving into Waikīkī. Do not assume Ala Moana Center customer parking is available for festival-only attendance if you are not shopping there. The center reserves complimentary parking for customers and employees, though select paid zones may cover nearby destinations. (Ala Moana Center — Visit) (Ala Moana Center — Parking FAQ)

Food: Friday’s Hoʻolauleʻa included food and festival-food booths, plus vendor treats. On Saturday and Sunday, Waikīkī restaurants remained close to the festival venues. (Pan-Pacific Hoʻolauleʻa)

The festival came from Hawaiʻi and Japan’s long-running cultural exchange. You could see that history in its layout: visiting groups and Hawaiʻi-based performers shared public stages across Waikīkī and Ala Moana. (Pan-Pacific Festival — About Us)

The Hula Festival made that exchange tangible. Japanese hālau train throughout the year for the chance to perform hula in Hawaiʻi, while a local Honolulu hālau presented a daily exhibition at Kūhiō Beach. (Pan-Pacific Festival — Hula Festival)

I’d go for the contrast you cannot get from a hotel-lobby performance: hula at Kūhiō Beach, taiko and eisa on public stages, then a full parade on Kalākaua Avenue. The 2026 program packed those moments into the Waikīkī-Ala Moana corridor.