The arts community is asking legislators to support the idea of hosting a festival of Pacific arts and culture every year.
The House Committee on Culture and Arts advanced a pair of resolutions — House Resolution 158 and House Concurrent Resolution 163 — urging the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to host an annual gathering of Pacific Islanders.
Last year, Hawai’i hosted the largest celebration of Pacific Islanders, drawing more than 500,000 visitors and over 2,200 delegates from 25 Pacific nations.
SFCA Executive Director Karen Ewald said her team has been planning a regional festival on a smaller scale that would highlight Native Hawaiian artists and Pacific Islanders in the diaspora from Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
“We really want to connect closer to the cultures here,” Ewald told HPR.
The state budgeted $20 million for the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, which was funded by donations and state and federal dollars. The festival is held every four years, rotating among Pacific islands.
It’s unclear how much the SFCA will spend on its small-scale event. Ewald said the foundation spent up to $800,000 for FestPAC last year.
Ewald said she’s anticipating starting the event late this year or early 2026.
The resolutions will head to the full House for a vote.
