*** For the upcoming New Year’s Eve, see this link: Waikiki & Honolulu New Year’s Eve Fireworks, Dinners & Events. We created that dedicated page to make it easier to find what’s happening. It’s updated every December.***
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** 2009 events are listed below for reference purposes. Note that some links will no longer work. **
You’ll find lots and lots and lots of things to do to bid a fond aloha to 2009 and welcome in 2010 this New Years Eve on Oahu. So, pack your bags and start practicing how to say Happy New Year in Hawaii: Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
* Honolulu’s Aloha Tower Marketplace will ring in 2010 with New Year’s Eve celebration featuring waterfront dining, live entertainment throughout the marketplace and a spectacular fireworks display over Honolulu Harbor at midnight. Several Aloha Tower restaurants will host special menus and packages for the evening. (This fireworks show is usually the biggest on the island.) If you’re looking for an extra special place to dine here, check out multi-award winning Chai Island Bistro. (See my review of Chai Island Bistro.) Visit AlohaTower.com or call (808) 566-2377 for more information.
* One way to celebrate New Year’s Eve and then see the midnight fireworks from Honolulu Harbor is aboard the Star of Honolulu. They have several different cruise packages for dinner, cocktails, as well as shows. Visit StarofHonolulu.com or call (808) 983-7827 for more information.
* In Kapolei, Wet n Wild water park provides an early fireworks display on New Year’s Eve beginning at 6pm to accommodate families with children who may not want to stay up late. Celebrate the end-of-the year with a spectacular fireworks display by the world renowned Grucci Brothers. Arrive early to enjoy a day filled with live entertainment, games and tons of prizes. Visit WetnWild or call (808) 674-9283 for more information.
* JW Marriott Ihilani Resort in the Ko’Olina area of Kapolei will put on a midnight New Year’s Eve fireworks show. A couple of the .JW Marriott Ihilani Resort restaurants, Ushio-Tei Japanese Restaurant and Naupaka Terrace will offer buffets earlier in the evening. Call (808) 679-0079 for more information.
* Waikiki Beach New Year’s Eve fireworks – at midnight, enjoy watching the night sky light up with fireworks on the world famous, Waikiki Beach. (CONFIRMED per the Waikiki Beach Improvement Association!)
* Don’t forget that every Friday night, there’s a fireworks show in Waikiki. If you happen to miss the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, then you can see a nice little show on New Year’s Day.
New Year’s Eve Waikiki Dining & Concerts
* The major Starwoods resorts of Waikiki have several options to celebrate New Years Eve — ranging from lavish buffets to multi-course fine dining to dancing with the Village People. The individual pages are not “linkable” so visit NewYearsEveInWaikiki.com directly and navigate from there for all their menus, costs and for information on how to see the Village People concert.
* At Waikiki’s Hilton Hawaiian Village, The Stylistics will be playing at the Coral Ballroom. See this flyer for a bit more concert information. Advanced reserved table seats for $49 and are currently on sale at Ticketmaster outlets including the Blaisdell Box Office, Macy’s and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket price includes one standard drink per person, OR one bottle of champagne per couple, inclusive of tax and tip. Also at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you’ll find some nice dinner options:
- Bali Steak & Seafood offers a special New Year’s Eve six-course dinner starting at $150
- Rainbow Lanai Restaurant has a New Year’s Eve buffet (menu) for $59 for adults and $32 for children.
* Just about every restaurant in Waikiki and Honolulu will be open and offering something special to celebrate the evening. Where are the best Oahu restaurants? Here’s a couple of excellent lists:
- Oahu’s top restaurants from a local’s perspective
- Go Visit Hawaii’s pick of the best Oahu restaurants plus useful links.
* The award winning, Chef Mavro has a fancy multi-course dinner.
Off-Beat New Year’s Eve Ideas
* If you are looking for something out of the ordinary to do, then consider a treasure hunt in downtown Honolulu and Chinatown with the Fourth Annual Ravenchase Quest for Father Time. The cost is $125 per person which includes game play plus an open bar from 9pm-midnight, a pupu buffet, champagne toast, and party favors. For more information see this link.
* The Hilton Hawaiian Village will hold its popular Waikiki Starlight Luau at a special venue – the Lagoon Green – next to the picturesque Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon. Prices for the luau are $125 for adults, $77.50 for children ages 4 to 11; children 3 and under are free. Golden Circle tickets for seats closer the stage are $4 more for each ticket. A sumptuous dinner buffet is offered featuring a modern twist on traditional luau fare. The Waikiki Starlight Luau features the beautiful ladies and gentlemen of Tihati Productions in a Polynesian show. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the hotel at (808) 941-5828.
Sheila Beal
41 comments
Thank you so much, this is very helpful!!!:)
Glad you find it helpful, Greta. I hope you find the perfect event to celebrate the New Year!
One question, my husband just read on the the cuise site that the cruises might not be suitable for children — my boy is 12 and my girl 16?
What is your input on that?
I wonder if they might be referring to younger children who are apt to wander away from parent’s control and run around on a moving boat, climb on railings, etc.
Ok, thanks. Well, I read more carefully and they have different events going on. The “Admiral’s dinner” and the “Romantic dinner” don’t reccomend children, but the “dinner and Show” did not mention that, althugh the pricse are for adults only.
I will call them and find out, thanks.
Another choice would be the Aloha Tower with view of fireworks, does it get to crowded in that area? The only restaurant that look good there was the Chai’s Restaurant. Is there any other your can reccomend?
awesome!!! more blessings to you sheila!!!! thank you!!!!
Thank you, rossini. Wishing you a Hau ‘oli Makahiki Hou! (Happy New Year!)
When you get back from your visit, please let us know how you liked your holiday on Oahu.
It can get crowded.
Chai Island Bistro is very good and they always have top quality live music!
If you wanted a more casual dining experience at Aloha Tower, there’s Don Ho’s Island Grill. It’s kind of a fun place.
If you drive to Aloha Tower Marketplace, don’t forget to get validated parking.
Also, consider taking TheBus to reduce the traffic and parking stress. You can find their routes and time tables on their Web site: http://www.thebus.org/
Thank You, I will check your reccomendations. 🙂
awesome awesome awesome, have been anxiously waiting for this post!!!
do you have any idea of when Waikiki will announce if they’re having fireworks or not? Do you think either way the Aloha Tower show may be better and worth checking? I guess the only issue there is that there aren’t many great restaurants or bars to hang out while watching the fireworks, huh?!
if we stay in Waikiki, what do you think about Roy’s (heard about it, never been there though)? or any other suggestion? we were looking for somewhere close to the beach to have drinks & watch the fireworks after dinner, so we don’t necessarily have to dine at the same place we watch the fireworks… an alternative could be have dinner somewhere and then head to Duke’s (if waikiki ends up doing anything) or to the Aloha tower, just wonder how easy it will be to move around that night….
btw – we can definitely meet up some time! I actually live on the East Coast as well, let me know if you’re ever in the DC area!
Hi Kris,
Yes – would be great to meet up and talk travels!
Now, to answer you’re questions –
I really have no idea when the Waikiki New Year’s Eve fireworks situation will be decided for certain. I keep asking and even they don’t know. If I remember correctly, last year’s fireworks were pending up until about a week before New Year’s Eve. I will update as soon as I know. In the meantime, it makes it difficult for planning purposes.
Historically, the Aloha Tower Marketplace New Years Eve fireworks are spectacular and the biggest show on the islands for the entire year.
Roys in Waikiki has pretty good food, but that location is a very, very loud restaurant. I’m sure it’s going to be even louder on New Year’s Eve. Plus, you can’t see the beach from there, so it may not suit your needs. If you do decide you want to go there, book ASAP.
We aren’t going to be on Oahu (we’ll actually be on Lana’i) for New Year’s Eve this year, but if we were and decided to spend the evening in Waikiki, we’d probably have dinner at either the Twist at Hanohano at the Sheraton for their awesome view of Waikiki Beach. Another favorite of ours is Sansei at the Marriott https://govisithawaii.com/2009/09/17/dear-sansei-we-miss-you-so-much/ If you could snag an outdoor table there, you’d have a good view of the beach.
For cocktails, a couple of upscale ideas with nice beach views — the mai tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian or the bar at the Halekulani.
mahalo for the tips! The Twist at Hanohano and Sansei seem awesome, will definitely consider them. The Halekulani is a great idea too, hadn’t thought about it. I’ll let you know afterwards what we ended up doing.
Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau’oli Makahiki Hou to you, hope you have a great time in Lanai!
hi sheila, happy new year!
so we’re now back from oahu… as expected, a wonderful trip! we ended up going out for dinner at Town (in Kaimuki) – great environment, fantastic service and amazing food, especially their ahi tuna appetizers and entree. we then parked the car close to waikiki and walked to the beach – around kalakaua & kapahulu close to a pool/wave breaker area. We got a perfect view of the fireworks and we were right by the water, not bad! along kalakaua there were several hotels hosting parties and live music by the pools, and after midnight some even had with their doors open for people to check them out.
Jan 1st was also great – we took the Maitai catamaran afternoon cruise that leaves from Sheraton Waikiki. I definitelly recommend it. (the fact that I got engaged right after the cruise may have contributed, but it actually created a perfectly romantic environment pre-proposal, hehe)
We also tried Sansei for dinner – thanks for the recommendation! – we have high standards for japanese food, but this was the best sushi we’ve eaten in a long time!!!!!!
anyways, thanks for all your tips on this and many of your other great posts… hawaii is a top candidate among our options for wedding locations, and I’ll definitely have your site in mind when researching for more info!
kris
Do you know of any New Years eve activities in Maui
janine – see this article for Maui New Year’s Eve events: https://govisithawaii.com/2009/12/17/maui-new-years-eve-20092010/
There aren’t nearly as many things going on, but still some fun ways to welcome in 2010 Maui-style.
Great news, everyone — Waikiki Beach fireworks have been confirmed! Yay!
Tks!! and yay!!!
yahoooooo!!!!! thank you sheila, you are the best…
Sheila,
For a first timer going to Waikiki Beach for fireworks, where do you recommend being situated?
Mahalo~
Hi Sean – I recommend you speak to a Concierge in Waikiki as I don’t currently have the details of the exact spot where the fireworks will originate. There’s probably not a bad spot on the beach though.
Thank You! we will aboard the Star of Hawai…are those the fireworks we will be able to see??
Greta – I hope that works out well. It will be pretty to be able to see the fireworks reflecting off the water.
The photo above is from the regular Friday night fireworks from the Hilton Hawaiian.
The Friday Fireworks is just stupid.
It sounds like a war.
For people who don’t know what’s going on, it’s a tragedy.
Let’s keep Honolulu peaceful.
For those of you who are looking for dining options – I recently got word that the following venues are offering special New Years Eve dinners and they still have reservations available:
– Top of Waikiki Restaurant
– Hyatt Waikiki
– Chef Mavro
We were at the Resort Quest hotel at Waikiki Beach on Dec 31, 2008 and watched the fireworks over the ocean at midnight to usher in 2009. They were great!!!! Wish we could have been there this year too!
Kevin, there’s always next year. 😉 Happy New Year!
happy new year!! Sheila. we had a blast in hnl. we are flying back tonight to cali.
hope you are enjoying your break.
thank you for all your tips and more blessings to come.
will send some pictures that might be of help to future revellers.
btw, i was able to get a 5 min. video of fantastic aloha tower fireworks.
I hope your New Years Eve in Hawaii was a great one! I’d love to hear how it went…what did you do? Did you like it?
It was so much fun, we celebrated the eve in Don Ho Island Grill in Aloha Tower. It was 60 dollars per person with all you can eat buffet with all the party favors too. We took a cab going there cause parking is surely full. acc. to the cab driver it wasnt that busy compared last year but still we have to wait in line for a cab going back.
what a nice way to celebrate a new year in a warm weather with all the fireworks along with a danceable background music.
Sorry for the late response, got so busy with work.
More blessings to your website!!!!
rossini – thank you for sharing your NYE experience. Sounds like you had a great time.
I think you were wise not to drive out to the Aloha Tower.
Did you think the fireworks show was good?
Again, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed your holiday on Oahu! That’s music to my ears. 🙂
it was a mediocre. but hey, i dont see one in california, cant complain rather than staying home and watching the countdown on television on a chilly weather.
now i am dreaming on which island to go next. what can you suggest? also NYE.
Kris – I loved reading your comment. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I can only imagine Waikiki was very festive for the occasion.
Thanks for the feedback on Sansei. In North Carolina, we don’t have good sushi options, but sounds like you’re an expert. So, I was glad to hear that a place we really enjoyed also impressed a more experienced sushi connoisseur. 🙂
If you should have the desire to write a guest post here, I’d really welcome that.
would love that! will search for a cool picture to inspire me and try to send you something soon, thanks! 🙂
Yay!
rossini –
I wonder if the economy has taken a toll on the amount of fireworks this past year? Historically, the Aloha Tower fireworks on NYE are the best of the year. They also do a big July 4th display, but the NYE is famous for being the best.
Which island next? Ah, more music to my ears. 🙂 Usually Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island does a fireworks display and usually a big concert. This past year, Wailea Beach on Maui had a fireworks display. This past year, my husband and I really enjoyed the NYE fireworks on Lanai. I would guess that they’d all do something again this coming new year’s eve, but we’ll know more as we get closer to that time of year.
I may be either on the big island or ohau for new year’s eve. is one better than the other for that night as far as festivals.
Mario – if past events are a predictor for future events, both islands will offer great fireworks, concerts, etc. We won’t know for sure until around mid-December. If you haven’t already done so, you should subscribe to the free daily updates from Go Visit Hawaii so that you’ll be in the know. https://govisithawaii.com/2008/04/20/are-you-subscribed-to-go-visit-hawaii/
Oahu tends to offer more events than the Big Island, because there is a larger population (and crowd) there.
Hope that helps.
For anyone looking for what to do this New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2010), you’ll find the list on this link: Waikiki/Honolulu New Years Eve 2010/2011: https://govisithawaii.com/2010/12/11/waikikihonolulu-new-years-eve-20102011/