The ticketed lūʻaus in Kāʻanapali
These are public lūʻaus held at resorts on Kāʻanapali Beach. Each sells tickets on its own website, and schedules and prices change, so check there before you plan around one.
Drums of the Pacific Lūʻau, at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. Wailele Lūʻau, at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa. Maui Nui Lūʻau at Black Rock, at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. Myths of Maui Lūʻau, at Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows. Huakaʻi – Journey Through Polynesia, at Hilton Vacation Club Kāʻanapali Beach, which is our show and has run weekly since 2015; tickets are on huakailuau.com. Resort programs change, so ask your front desk what is running during your stay.
Why we will not crown one
We produce one of these shows, so any ranking from us would be a sales pitch. The honest way to choose is by fit. If you are staying at one of the host resorts, the show there is a walk from your room. The Kāʻanapali beach path connects the resorts, so most of the shows are an easy walk from anywhere on the strip. Compare the menus, start times, and seating on each show’s site against your own plans.
What a ticketed lūʻau is
A public lūʻau is a ticketed show with a set menu and a set start time. You buy seats per person, you share the evening with other guests, and the venue and program are fixed. For a couple or a family on vacation, that is usually the simplest way to see hula, hear live Hawaiian music, and eat a lūʻau dinner.
When a private lūʻau fits better
A private lūʻau is the same kind of food and performers brought to your own venue, for your own guests, on your schedule. It fits a reunion, a milestone birthday, a wedding or vow renewal, or a company group that wants the evening to itself. Kāʻanapali has hotel lawns, oceanfront event decks, condo resorts with lawn space, and private homes above the beach. Condo and home events need the association’s or owner’s permission. See private events in Kāʻanapali.
What a private lūʻau costs
A private lūʻau on Maui starts at $2,697 plus Hawaiʻi tax for the Plumeria package (2 dancers, 1 musician, 1 production manager) and goes up to $5,787 plus tax for Bird of Paradise. The price is per package, not per guest, and covers the performers and production manager. Food, sound and lights, tables and chairs, and décor are quoted separately. Full breakdown: how much a private lūʻau costs on Maui.
To compare with tickets, divide the package price by your guest count, and remember that number covers the performers only. Food is separate. For example, Plumeria at $2,697 for 30 guests is about $90 per guest for the performers, before tax and before food.
Our take
For two to six people on a Kāʻanapali vacation, book a ticketed show near where you are staying. Many of our private clients see Huakaʻi first, then book the same performers for their own event. For a group that wants its own evening, a private lūʻau at your resort, condo, or rental is usually the better fit. Comparing Kāʻanapali with South Maui? Read Wailea vs Kāʻanapali.