The ticketed lūʻaus in Wailea
These are the public lūʻaus in Wailea, each hosted by a resort or held in the resort area. Each sells tickets on its own website, and schedules and prices change, so check there before you plan around one.
The Lūʻau at Grand Wailea, at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort. The Feast at Mōkapu Lūʻau, on the oceanfront lawn at Mōkapu Beach. Te Au Moana Lūʻau, at Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott. Aloha Wailea Lūʻau, in Wailea, which is our show; tickets are on alohawailealuau.com.
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 the easy evening. If you are staying elsewhere in Wailea or Kīhei, 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. Many Wailea resorts have lawns and event spaces, and rental homes can work too, with the owner’s permission. See private events in Kīhei and Wailea.
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 Wailea vacation, book a ticketed show near where you are staying. For a group that wants its own evening, a private lūʻau at your resort or rental is usually the better fit, and the per-guest cost of the performers drops as the group grows. Comparing Wailea with West Maui? Read Wailea vs Kāʻanapali.