Annual Events on Oahu

Oahu is so great at putting on massive events; since we are on an island in the middle of the Pacific, you have to keep it fun year-round! Read more below about some of the most popular events of the year in case you are visiting when they happen! There are also many festivals and parades each year (not mentioned in this blog posting) that highlight Hawaiian culture with Princesses on horseback and incredible floral displays. These are typically on the main strip of Waikiki, on Kalakaua Avenue. Click here to learn more about the festivals.

Sony Open at Wai’alae Country Club

Within the first few weeks of the New Year, the Sony Open occurs at Wai’alae Country Club, close to Diamond Head. This pro golf tournament starts the PGA Tour each year. Golf may be boring to watch on TV, you say, but seeing it in-person is something special. Their talent and precision is incredible, and it is enjoyable to walk around this beautiful golf course, drink, eat, and be merry! You can purchase tickets online here. Go check it out if you are on Oahu in early-mid January!

Waikiki Spam Jam

The Spam Fest never disappoints. Each vendor is required to have some sort of spam-style dish and whoever has the highest votes wins! This is a very fun introduction to Hawai’i late April each year.

Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawai’i

The Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawai’i is in the name: a light-up lantern floating festival. It is a somber and humbling event to memorialize those we miss on Memorial Day. Anyone is welcome to join, regardless of their beliefs. The Buddhist master, Her Holiness Shinso-Ito, is the current head of the spiritual community Shinnyo-en. Shinso-Ito has been conducting this grounding ceremony since Memorial Day 1999. To participate, you can simply show up at Ala Moana Beach Park and watch. Or, to float a lantern, you can pick one up earlier that day at the park. This beautiful event is completely free!

Honolulu Marathon

The Honolulu Marathon is the fourth largest running festival in the U.S. More than 35,000 people participated in the race in 2024, myself included! There are two races, including the Start to Park 10k (this is the race that I competed in) and the marathon. The race starts at 5:00 AM and opens with fireworks lasting at least 15-20 minutes to get the runners’ adrenaline going. It is a very fun-filled pro-health event held early December each year that ironically ends at concession stands with fresh malasadas (Portuguese donuts; a Hawaiian treat).

The Eddie

The Eddie is a high-performance surfing competition that occurs anytime between mid-December and mid-March each year, whenever waves on the North Shore consistently reach 40 feet in height. It is extremely difficult to get a spot on the North Shore once the date for the competition is announced. Once you hear from social media or from the website linked above that The Eddie is a go, jump in your car to plan to camp overnight up north. The competition starts at sunrise, and there usually is a traffic jam starting at 2:30 AM the morning of. I’ve never been because the traffic just sounds ridiculous. But, it is for sure a big event worth mentioning. If you are in town in the winter time between those dates, I do recommend going to the North Shore in front of the Volcom House to watch some pro-surfers regardless of whether it’s a competition or not. It’s incredible to see such massive waves and the talented people who brave them.

New Years

Boy do Hawaiians love their New Years! Stemming from the Chinese New Year tradition of shooting off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits every year, Hawaiian residents now go crazy lighting up the skies with large illegal fireworks displays. Simply driving down the H-1 freeway will give you a great show (please be safe!). Or, find a parking lot up in the mountains to watch the skies light up below you. If you want to play it safe, Waikiki always has powerful professional fireworks displays that you can view from the beach.