ʻIolani Palace is turning next Sunday’s free Kamaʻāina gathering into a musical and cultural salute to Kahoʻolawe, with Kimié Miner and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana helping anchor the day. The event gives Honolulu residents a chance to tour the royal palace while connecting with one of Hawaiʻi’s most consequential modern movements for aloha ʻāina.
The celebration runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Sunday, and Hawaii News Now describes it as a free showcase of local culture and music featuring Miner and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. The timing is deliberate: 2026 marks 50 years since the landing that helped ignite the movement to stop military bombing on the sacred island.
Free Palace Access With A Kahoʻolawe Focus
According to ʻIolani Palace, the first 500 attendees can receive self-led audio tours, with one complimentary ticket available per Hawaiʻi resident who shows a valid state ID, driver’s license or other proof of residency. The Richards Street gate opens at 8:30 a.m., giving early arrivals a head start on the palace tour and the day’s workshops.
The posted program includes Kahoʻolawe Renaissance, Hui Haku Mele and a morning performance by Kumu Hula Snowbird Bento and Ka Pā Hula O Ka Lei Lehua. Residents can also try kōnane, floral kūpeʻe making and lauhala weaving, watch Kahoʻolawe films in the Hale Koa video room, or sign up for a limited-seating lei ʻāʻī workshop.
Why The 50-Year Anniversary Matters
The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana’s 2026 calendar frames the gathering around mele and declarations of aloha ʻāina at the palace’s Coronation Pavilion. The anniversary program is part of a yearlong effort to revisit the organization’s history while renewing public attention to stewardship, cultural practice and the future of Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe.
That history began with the Kahoʻolawe Nine, who evaded a Coast Guard blockade and landed on the island on Jan. 4, 1976, according to University of Hawaiʻi News. The bombing ended in 1990, and the island was returned to the State of Hawaiʻi in 1994; Hoodline previously traced the movement’s turning point, including the sacrifices of George Helm and Kimo Mitchell.
Miner’s participation also reflects the way music has carried the movement’s message across generations. Ka Wai Ola reported that the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana is creating an aloha ʻāina-inspired album for the anniversary, with Miner among the artists involved, while her official biography identifies her as a Grammy-nominated producer and singer-songwriter whose work is closely tied to Hawaiian culture and heritage.
Residents planning to attend should bring proof of Hawaiʻi residency and arrive early, since complimentary audio tours are limited to the first 500 people. The Palace is at 364 South King Street in downtown Honolulu, with nearby parking options listed by ʻIolani Palace.
