Unveiling Hawaii’s Ancient Hula: More Than Just a Dance

Hilo, on the Big Island, fills with dancers and their families every spring for the Merrie Monarch Festival, a week that locals often call the Olympics of hula. The competition, now in its seventh decade, draws some of the best hula schools from across the United States to compete, but the event itself is only the visible peak of a much deeper practice. Hula is an ancient and often sacred dance indigenous to Hawaii, one that has preserved and propelled the reclamation of Hawaiian culture, language, and identity for generations.

For centuries, the hālau hula (traditional hula school) was one of several spaces in Hawaiian society where traditional knowledge was transferred from one generation to the next. The dance uses movements to portray the words of an oli (chant) or mele (song), expressing history, spirituality, and a deep appreciation for nature. This guide covers what hula actually is, where to see it respectfully, and why its revival matters far beyond the stage.

Understanding Hula: Geography, Movement, and Cultural Weight

Hula isn’t one thing — it has distinct styles, origins, and rules that vary across the islands.

Multiple Hawaiian moʻolelo (stories) recount hula’s divine origins. The most frequently mentioned deity in hula prayers and protocol is the goddess Laka, portrayed in chants as the source of inspiration for the movements. In a separate story, the goddess Kapo is credited as the first kumu hula, having established the first hālau hula in Kāʻana, Molokaʻi. The moʻolelo of the volcano goddess Pele and her sister Hiʻiaka is perhaps the most well-documented, with several versions appearing in Hawaiian language newspapers at the turn of the 20th century.

Traditionally, hula was a sacred practice demanding strict adherence to rules meant to keep practitioners spiritually pure. Their actions were restricted — including what they could eat, where they could go, and what they could wear. Their role gave them the exclusive responsibility of presenting offerings and prayers to the hula gods on behalf of the people. This isn’t a casual art form you can pick up in an afternoon workshop.

Where to Experience Hula on the Big Island

The Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo is the headline event, but smaller opportunities exist year-round if you know where to look.

The Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo

For the past 60 years, the sleepy town of Hilo on the Big Island has hosted this annual festival, which honors King David Kalākaua, known as the Merrie Monarch for his patronage of traditional Hawaiian arts. Kalākaua was the last king to rule Hawaii before an association of English and American businessmen illegally overthrew Hawaii’s constitutional monarchy in 1893 with the help of American Navy sailors from the U.S.S. Boston. The festival features a parade and a traditional Hawaiian arts and crafts fair, but the hula competition is the main draw. Winners from the 2024 competition included Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leināʻala for wāhine (women) dancers and Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua for kāne (men) dancers, who wore red outfits to honor Pele.

Tickets to the competition sell out within hours of release, typically in January for the April event. The parade and arts fair are free and open to the public, offering a more accessible entry point. The north entry to the stadium fills by 7 a.m. on competition days — arrive earlier if you want a seat in the general admission section.

Hālau Hula and Cultural Centers

Several hālau hula on the Big Island offer public demonstrations outside of festival season. The Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, named for the venerated kumu hula who helped establish the first Hawaiian Studies program at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, in the late 1970s, occasionally hosts open events. Kanakaʻole’s face appears on a U.S. mint quarter released in March 2023, above a line from one of her most famous chants, “E ho mai ka ʻike” (“Grant us wisdom”). Her grandson Kuhaʻo Zane described the recognition as “one of the hugest achievements of any Hawaiian, period.” Check the foundation’s calendar for public talks or demonstrations — these are less crowded than festival events and allow for more direct conversation with practitioners.

Hawaiian Language Immersion Schools

At Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, a Hawaiian language immersion school where all lessons are taught in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, students practice hula as part of their curriculum. They are the first hula practitioners taught exclusively in the Native Hawaiian language in nearly a century. The Harman family, who founded a hālau hula at the school, aim to “renormalize” the language while perpetuating the dance. More than 100 students, from preschoolers through adults, are enrolled, most of them fluent speakers. Public performances by the school happen at community events — the annual Hoʻolauleʻa in Hilo is a good bet for seeing student hula in a low-pressure setting.

Planning Your Visit: Timing, Access, and Local Friction

Getting the timing right matters more here than almost anywhere else in Hawaii.

Getting to Hilo

Hilo is on the windward (east) side of the Big Island, about a 45-minute drive from Kona International Airport via the Saddle Road (Highway 200). The drive crosses the volcanic saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa — expect fog and occasional rain at higher elevations. Rental cars are the most practical option; ride-sharing is limited in Hilo compared to Kona. Parking near the Merrie Monarch venues fills by early morning during festival week.

Best Time to Visit

April is the obvious choice for the Merrie Monarch Festival, but it’s also the rainiest month in Hilo — average monthly rainfall exceeds 10 inches. If you’re coming for the festival, pack a waterproof jacket and shoes that can handle puddles. The parade route gets muddy. For non-festival visits, the drier summer months (June through September) offer more reliable weather for exploring the town and nearby attractions like Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Costs and Practicalities

Merrie Monarch competition tickets range from $25 to $50 per session, but the real cost is the planning. Hotels in Hilo book out months in advance during festival week, with rates often doubling. Consider staying in a vacation rental in the Puna district, about 20 minutes south of Hilo, for more availability and lower prices. The parade and arts fair are free, making them the most budget-friendly entry point.

On the Ground: What to Know Before You Go

Hula is surrounded by protocols that visitors often miss — and that matters more than what you wear.

Etiquette and Protocol

You ask permission before you pick greenery for hula. You ask permission before you enter the hālau. These practices, called loina, have endured in hula schools for generations. As a visitor, the most important rule is simple: don’t touch the dancers’ adornments. Lei and kūpeʻe are often made with specific plants and shells that carry spiritual significance. If you’re invited to a hālau, remove your shoes before entering and sit quietly until invited to speak. The moʻolelo (stories) passed down through hula are living knowledge, not museum exhibits.

Traditional Attire and What to Wear

Traditional hula outfits vary by style and occasion. Both men and women wore paʻū (skirts) made of kapa (barkcloth) and nothing above their waists. These skirts were often dyed and decorated with stamped and painted patterns. Practitioners also adorn themselves with lei (neck and head garlands) and kūpeʻe (wrist and ankle adornments), often made with shells, ferns, or other foliage. As a spectator, dress modestly — covering shoulders and knees is respectful, especially at cultural events. Avoid wearing lei made of non-native plants, as they can carry unintended meanings.

Language and Cultural Context

The resurgence of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in recent decades has profoundly impacted the practice of hula, enriching the understanding of the dance’s historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. As more dancers have embraced their Native language, they have been revitalizing both practices. During the Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1960s and ’70s, the philosophy of reciprocity with the environment gave rise to a political movement called Aloha ʻĀina, which continues today. Craig and Luana Neff, who helped successfully oppose the U.S. military’s target practice bombing of the island of Kahoʻolawe in the 1970s, led a group from Aloha ʻĀina in this year’s Merrie Monarch parade. “Aloha ʻĀina is the love of the land, but it’s more than that,” Mr. Neff said. “Hawaiian thought is the land is the religion.”

Hula on the Big Island — Your Questions Answered

Can I learn hula as a visitor?

Some hālau offer introductory workshops, but these are not the same as the rigorous training practitioners undergo. Look for community classes at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, or the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation. Expect to learn a basic oli (chant) before any movement — the voice comes first.

Is the Merrie Monarch Festival worth the hassle?

If you can get tickets, yes — the level of skill is extraordinary. But the real friction is access. Tickets sell out in hours, and Hilo’s infrastructure strains under the crowd. The parade and arts fair are excellent alternatives that don’t require the same planning.

What’s the difference between ancient and modern hula?

Ancient hula, or kahiko, is performed to oli (chant) without modern musical instruments. Modern hula, or ʻauana, is accompanied by songs with instruments like the ʻukulele or guitar. Both styles appear at Merrie Monarch, but kahiko carries stricter protocols around attire and conduct.

Why was hula suppressed historically?

Missionaries in the early 1800s deemed hula pagan and banned it. After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Hawaiian language and cultural practices were either banned or suppressed for decades. “We’ve always been made to believe ‘you’re less than,'” Luana Neff said, referring to that period. Hula’s revival is a direct act of cultural reclamation.

Can I take photos at a hula performance?

At public festivals and parades, yes. At the Merrie Monarch competition, absolutely not — no video or photography is allowed. At smaller hālau demonstrations, ask the kumu hula first. If they say no, respect it without argument.

One Last Thing

Hula isn’t a performance you watch — it’s a relationship you witness. The dancers aren’t just moving; they’re maintaining a connection between the spiritual world and the human world, one that survived suppression, language loss, and the overthrow of a kingdom. That’s worth sitting in the rain for. For a deeper look at how Hawaiian culture has persisted through change, read about the cultural transformation from plantation days to modern Hawaii.

Sources and further reading

Preserving Hula, the Heartbeat of Hawaii. The New York Times, 2023.

Hawaiian language and hula revitalization. American Indian Magazine, 2024.