The Hawaiian Council is moving ahead with plans for a multimillion-dollar amphitheater and adjacent cultural sanctuary at Ko Olina Resort on Oʻahu’s leeward shore, a sizable new venue the nonprofit says will anchor its cultural programming and live productions. The project is pitched as both a performance space and a hub for education and community events, and council leaders describe it as a long-term home base for Hawaiian-led shows and cultural practice. If built, the complex would add a funded, Native Hawaiian-operated cultural site inside a resort corridor that has already attracted several recent redevelopment proposals.
Project details and announcement
As reported by Pacific Business News, Hawaiian Council CEO Kūhiō Lewis called the plan "the organization's most significant project to date," and the story published a rendering that places the new amphitheater beside the Ko Olina marina. That report describes the effort as a multimillion-dollar investment and notes that the nonprofit is tying public-facing events and workforce-development panels to the rollout. The Business Journals piece is the first public notice of the council's formal plans at the resort.
Where the venue would sit
Ko Olina's own pages describe a formal alliance with the Hawaiian Council to "integrate traditional Hawaiian practices, education, entertainment, and opportunities" at the resort, and the resort's events calendar lists a Holiday Lūʻau that includes a preview of Kaula Lūʻau slated to open in February 2026. Ko Olina Resort and its event listings place seasonal cultural programming in the lagoon and marina area, matching the general location shown in the published rendering. The resort notes that some event proceeds will support the council's community programs and cultural work.
How it fits with shoreline redevelopment
The council's announcement arrives as other work on Ko Olina's shoreline has progressed, including a Final Environmental Impact Statement filed earlier this year for a project called "The Cove," a planned redevelopment of the longtime Paradise Cove luau grounds into restaurants, retail and an oceanfront performing-arts venue. Local reporting on The Cove and Paradise Cove's upcoming closure highlights community concerns about traffic, views and the fate of longtime luau jobs. Aloha State Daily and Paradise Cove luau set to go dark have both tracked those filings and local reaction.
Hawaiian Council's cultural push
The proposed amphitheater lines up with the Council's recent expansion into tourism and performance. The nonprofit rebranded this year and, under CEO Kūhiō Lewis, has been mounting large-scale cultural productions and partnerships that aim to bring Hawaiian stories to wider audiences. Local coverage of the rebrand and the council's collaborations with theatrical producers underscores a strategy that blends cultural stewardship with visitor-facing economic activity. For more on the organization's growth and programming, see reporting from Hawaii News Now and Maui Now.
What comes next
There is no public construction timetable yet. The council and resort will need permitting, community review and additional approvals before any building begins. City and county permitting processes, along with the EIS materials, will shape the schedule, according to local reporting, and Pacific Business News notes the council intends to host public-facing events, including a "Building the Bench" workforce panel scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, as part of the rollout. The council's newsroom is being kept current with announcements and program pages.
If the project moves forward, the amphitheater would stand out as an on-resort cultural venue led and programmed by a Native Hawaiian organization rather than a private operator. Expect permit filings and public outreach dates to draw attention as the Hawaiian Council and Ko Olina publish them.
