Ultimate Guide to Waikiki Christmas Events & Dining for 2024

Aloha and welcome to our annual Waikiki Christmas guide! Here, you will find all you need to plan the perfect Waikiki Christmas holiday for 2024.

If your idea of a winter wonderland includes sun, sand and gently swaying palm trees, then Waikiki Beach is the place for you!  It’s a fantastic place to experience the Christmas season with Aloha.

To help you make your holiday plans, we compiled our annual Waikiki Christmas list of all the best things to see and do! Here, you’ll find a list of special events to get you into the Mele Kalikimaka spirit.

We’ve organized all the special Christmas events and dining options as follows:

• The very best holiday-related things to do and see during your Christmas vacation on Oahu
• Waikiki Christmas dining advice
• Christmas Eve church services in Waikiki

Special events and fun things to see and do in December for the Christmas holiday in Waikiki, Honolulu & Oahu

The following lists focuses on holiday activities from December 20th through Christmas Day as most folks arrive on or near the 20th to start their Waikiki Christmas vacation. If you are arriving prior to the 20th, see our article, What you need to know for a December Hawaii vacation, for special events happening earlier in December.

Things to see and do that are in or near Waikiki

* Take a stroll through the many Waikiki hotel lobbies to see their Christmas decorations. See examples of Waikiki Christmas decorations from years past. (Free) 

* The Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki has beautiful Christmas displays including a 34-foot Christmas tree in the Royal Grove. The center hosts holiday performances and Santa arrives for photos. These special holiday events are scheduled to take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays through December 23rd. Check this link for more details and updates. (Free) 

* See the amazing Christmas sand sculptures at the porte cochere and lobby areas of the Sheraton Waikiki. (Free)

* Ala Moana Center, Hawaii’s largest shopping mall, will be decorated for the season. Locals and visitors delight in seeing the traditional 50-foot “Big Santa” structure atop the center’s makai parking deck overlooking Ala Moana Boulevard. Ala Moana Center hosts these lovely, free events:

• Holiday hula performances daily at 5:00 p.m. 
• On Sundays, the Center hosts a Keiki (children’s) Hula Show at 1:00 p.m. 
• Roaming Carolers every Saturday through December 21 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

* Waikiki Beach Walk hosts live Christmas music and hula performances for the Seven Days of Christmas Holiday Mele Showcase. Performances will run nightly from December 19  through  the 25th each evening starting at 6:00 p.m. See this link for more information. (Free)

* See Santa Claus make an arrival to Waikiki Beach by outrigger canoe. He makes several stops in Waikiki prior to his big night. Here are some opportunities to see Santa’s come to shore on an outrigger canoe:

• December 18, 19 and 20 at 10:00 a.m., Santa arrives by canoe on the beach fronting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
• December 24, Santa can be seen enjoying some canoe rides in the ocean in front of the Halekulani Hotel from around 1:00 p.m. to about 2:30 p.m. Then he’ll come ashore. 

* ‘Twas the Light Before Christmas is a first-of-its-kind immersive holiday adventure. This new experience includes music, lights and projection shows. ‘Twas the Light Before Christmas is being held at the Hawaii Convention Center that is walkable from a few Waikiki hotels, though you should check the distance and directions ahead of time to determine if it is within your walking range. The show runs through the end of December. Tickets are required. 

* Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort hosts several Christmas concerts:

• Popular Hawaii singer Kimie Miner performs her Christmas concert on December 21. Tickets are required. 
• Mike Lewis & Friends for their 8th Annual A Charlie Brown Christmas concert on December 24 and 25. Tickets are required.

* Honolulu Zoo’s Holidays with the Animals event is back for 2024. It will be held on December 21 this year. Tickets are required.

Things to see or do that would require transportation from Waikiki

* See the Honolulu City Lights and larger-than-life holiday displays in downtown Honolulu. The location is in and around the grounds of the Honolulu Hale at 530 S King Street. This annual display is free and open to the public starting December 7, 2024 through December. If you happen to be on Oahu on December 7, check out the parade The displays are nice to see in the day, but we especially enjoy seeing the lights at night. When open, be sure and go inside Honolulu Hale to see amazing Christmas trees and wreaths decorated by local organizations and the community. Since downtown Honolulu isn’t walkable from Waikiki, you’ll need transportation. Here are ways to get to Honolulu Hale from Waikiki:

• If you have a rental car, you can access parking at the Frank F. Fasi Municipal lot. See these FAQs for more information.
• Prince Waikiki hosts festive Holly Jolly Waikiki Trolley rides to see holiday decorations and Honolulu City Lights.
• Use public transportation on Oahu’s TheBus. Use Google Maps to help you generate the bus routes. Just enter the address of your accommodation and use the address for Honolulu Hale (530 S. King Street, Honolulu) as your destination.

* On the North Shore, in Laie, the Hukilau Marketplace is hosting fun, free events that kids of all ages will enjoy. Their Christmas decorations and festive lights along with live entertainment can be enjoyed by all. Santa Claus will be making appearances, too. Kids will particularly enjoy the Christmas train rides. These activities will be held nightly from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. from December 16th through 21st. See this link for more information. Note that the Hukilau Marketplace is adjacent to the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is a great place to visit to learn about the Polynesian cultures. We recommend spending the afternoon at the Polynesian Cultural Center touring the Polynesian villages, grab dinner there either at the luau or one of the restaurants, then check out Christmas at the Hukilau Marketplace.  Use this link to get 10%-off select packages with advance booking. 

* At Hawaii Theater in Honolulu, Hawaii musician Kalani Pe’a will perform Kalani Pe’a’s Hawaiian Christmas Show on December 21 at 7:00pm. See this link for more information and tickets. 

* The Honolulu Brass Quintet and friends will host a Holiday Brass performance at Cathedral of St. Andrew in downtown Honolulu on December 21.

* Football fans can catch the Hawaii Bowl is on December 24 at 3:00 p.m. HST.

* College basketball fans can catch the hoops action of the Diamond Head Classic on December 22, 23 and 25. 

* Over on the west side of Oahu, Kapolei is decked out in Christmas lights and decorations with the 2024 theme of “Show Aloha This Holiday Season.” This festive spot is convenient for folks staying in Ko Olina. Learn more about Kapeolei City Lights. (Free)

Waikiki/Honolulu Christmas Dining & Special Options

Waikiki Restaurants at Christmas

Many Waikiki and Honolulu restaurants will be open and offering delicious Christmas menus — most with traditional foods, but with a lovely Hawaii-spin on Christmas staples. We’ve created a new page listing restaurants in and near Waikiki for Christmas dining. On that page, we’ve made some of the following helpful notes:

• We identify restaurants that have ocean views.
• We have added links to special Christmas menus, where known and applicable.
• We mention our favorite restaurants that we often recommend to friends and family who visit Waikiki.

Many restaurants book up in early to mid-December. So, we recommend you look at that Waikiki Christmas dining page and aim to book by late November, if possible. If you are waiting closer to the holiday to book your Christmas dining experience, don’t worry, we have some advice for how to secure a reservation if you are booking closer to the holiday. So, be sure and check out our Waikiki Christmas dining guide.

Christmas Bars in Waikiki

A fun new trend that seems to be going on throughout the USA is pop-up Christmas bars. Some of them have over-the-top decorations and holiday-inspired cocktails and mocktails served in festive barware.

Here are Waikiki’s top pop-up Christmas bars:

• The Christmas Bar at Tiki’s Grill & Bar in the Twin Fin Hotel is the most decorated from floor to ceiling. Children are welcome, but earlier hours are suggested.
• Sippin’ Santa at Prince Waikiki is a fun addition to their Holidaze theme. 
• Ho-Ho-Holiday Pop Up Bar on Fridays and Saturdays evenings through December 21 at International Marketplace in Donn the Beachcomber Treehouse.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Luau

For something that you probably can’t experience back home, a luau on Christmas can offer both a fun experience and an opportunity to learn about the culture. We have two different lists – one for luau options in Waikiki and one for luau options outside of Waikiki with transportation offered for an additional fee.

Here are some luau companies in Waikiki that will be hosting a luau on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day:

• On December 24, Queens Waikiki Luau at International Market Place in the heart of Waikiki hosts their luau on Christmas Eve. Pricing starts at $109 for adults for back row seating. (Pricing for children is lower.) They have three seating options – Front Row Seating, Middle Row Seating and Back Row Seating. Our recommendation is to get front or middle row seating for the best view of the hula show.
• Waikiki Starlight Luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village offers their luau on both  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Pricing starts at $279 per adult.

Here are luau companies outside of Waikiki that are operating on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day with an option of adding transportation from Waikiki:

• Aloha Kai Luau at Sea Life Park presents a Holiday Luau Package . As previously mentioned, this luau is outside of Waikiki. It’s about a 30 – 45 minute drive. If you don’t have a rental car, they offer transportation for an additional fee.
•  Ka Moana at the historic Aloha Tower offers their luau on both Christmas Eve only. For convenience, transportation from Waikiki can be provided for an additional fee. For their top-of-the-line experience, check out their Celebrity Seating.

Waikiki Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Church Services

Here are churches that are in the Waikiki area that will be holding special Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day services.

* Harbor Church Honolulu holds their Christmas Eve services on Monday, December 23 this year. See this link for more information.

* St. Augustine by-the-sea Catholic church holds mass on Christmas Eve (5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.) and on Christmas Day (6:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m.)

* Waikiki Baptist Church – Christmas Eve worship services TBD for 2024.

* St Mark’s Honolulu Episcopal Church – holds several services for The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. See this link for more information. The schedules are as follows:

• Christmas Eve
  • First Vespers of the Nativity at 2:30 p.m.
  • Latin Vigil Mass at 3:00 p.m.
  • Office of Readings for the Nativity at 9:30 p.m.
  • Midnight Mass at 11:00 p.m.
• Christmas Day
  • Holy Rosary at 10:30 a.m.
  • Procession and High Mass at 11:00 a.m.
  • Vespers at 1:00 p.m.

* Fort DeRussy Chapel across from Hale Koa Hotel will host Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 5:00 p.m.

* Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Waikiki holds Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 6:00 p.m. Prior to the Christmas Eve service the church invites everyone to sing Christmas Carols at 5:00 p.m.

* For more Christmas Eve services, check with the concierge at your hotel and/or pick up a copy of the Star-Advertiser, which usually has Christmas Eve service information, when you’re on the island.

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Notes

• We recommend you make book tickets and make reservations as soon as possible to secure the time and place you like.
• Should you have further questions, contact the venues directly. From each link that we’ve provided in this article, you should be able to navigate to the venue’s telephone number or a contact form.
• Unless otherwise stated, you can assume that taxes and gratuities are not included in the listed prices. When you make your reservations, please confirm these details.
• As we’ve created the dining lists, we’ve aimed to find restaurants with great views, special holiday menus or a unique setting.
• Most Waikiki Beach hotel-based restaurants will be open on Christmas. Check directly with the concierge of your accommodations for their special Christmas meals and events.
• Once you arrive on Oahu, pick up a copy of the Star Advertiser, the local newspaper, which may provide additional dining options and events.
• All times, pricing and information are accurately reported at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
• We anticipate that we’ll be adding more events and dining options, so do check back. We released this 2024 page on 12/11/24. Additions made after 12/11/24, will be indicated by the date they were added in a light gray font.
• If you are visiting Waikiki for the first or second time, check out the following articles to help you enjoy your visit:
  • Planning a Oahu vacation around a holiday
  • Waikiki/Oahu vacation itinerary 
  • What you need to know about a December Hawaii vacation – weather events and more!
• If you’ll be on Oahu through New Year’s Eve, check out our Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu New Year’s Eve Guide, which will be updated in mid to late December.
• Learn how to say Mele Kalikimaka, Hawaii’s way to say Merry Christmas.

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