E Komo Mai!

The next NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival will be held on August 22, 2026, at Ka Makana Ali‘i Shopping Center in Kapolei, O‘ahu. The festival will feature seven NextGEN steel guitarists and musicians ages 7 to 17.

Performing will be Thinh Nguyễn, Thuần Nguyễn, Schuyler Woodward, Isaac Woodward, Thắng Nguyễn, Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, and Ever Ta‘ala.

The NextGEN Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival is a Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival that features exclusively select youth steel guitar students of Ke Kula Mele that have earned the recognition of NextGEN.

These NextGEN Steel Guitarists are a group of "Next Generation" Ke Kula Mele keiki students who excel in their craft and are selected to represent the school in various public performance functions such as the HIMELE Hawaiian steel guitar festivals held statewide. Once a student earns the designation of NextGEN, the student retains that privilege until he or she is no longer a student of Ke Kula Mele or graduates from college.

NextGEN musicians are selected for their musical proficiency, confidence in performing, and willingness to engage an audience and share their musical story.

These festivals are presented free to the public by Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE) and the Ka Makana Ali‘i. NextGEN steel guitarists received support from Breezy Ridge® Instruments, Ltd., the home of John Pearse® Strings.