Luau and show
The full luau welcome, buffet, live music, hula lesson and Legends Room, then the Rock-A-Hula show at standard seating.
Check this listing's seats ↗Six stops, one stage
Six stops through the show
Rock-A-Hula's own programme describes a sweep from the 1920s to today, told in hula, tribute sets and a fire finale.
- 01 1920s
Where the show begins
The programme opens in the 1920s, the decade the production names as its own starting point for retracing Hawaiian music.
- 02 Hapa haole
Waikiki's hapa-haole years
From there the show moves into the hapa-haole era, the hybrid sound and hula style the production credits as the root of its own retelling.
- 03 Tribute set
Elvis, then the King of Pop
A live tribute act takes on Elvis Presley's Hawaiʻi-era songbook, followed by a second tribute built around the catalogue of the King of Pop.
- 04 Tahitian drums
The pace lifts into Tahitian dance
Tahitian dance follows, one of the styles the production places alongside hula across the evening.
- 05 Fire
A fire knife dancer closes it out
Fire knife dancing brings the show to its finale, the production's stated closing act.
- 06 Tonight
Then the house lights, and the cast
The night ends in the present day, and the cast stays back afterwards for photos and autographs.
Stops are the production's own description of its format, not a minute-by-minute script; the cast varies the order night to night.
On the stage and at the table
On the stage and at the table
The luau-and-show listing opens with a pre-show hour before the room moves into the theatre.
Pineapple, served family style
Maui Gold pineapple comes to the table family style, alongside a welcome E Komo Mai Tai.
Live music and a hula lesson
Live Hawaiian music and hula run through the pre-show hour, with a hula lesson guests can join in on.
The Legends Room
The pre-show hour includes time in the production's own Legends Room, a display of music memorabilia.
The buffet
Stations run to roasted luau pig, prime roast beef, lomilomi salmon, hulihuli chicken and tofu poke, with a taro roll, tea and Kona coffee; vegan and vegetarian plates are available.
An hour at the table
The luau buffet runs for about an hour before the group moves into the theatre for the show.
Premier seats, by package
Premier seating inside the theatre comes with select packages on this listing — the upgrade GYG reviewers call VIP — not with the standard booking.
The sound before the show
The sound before the show
An island invention: the steel guitar
Around 1889, Joseph Kekuku is credited with sliding a piece of steel along guitar strings to invent kika kila, the Hawaiian steel guitar, an instrument that later worked its way into mainland country and blues records.
Hapa haole opens the songbook
The hapa-haole style, English lyrics set over Hawaiian musical forms, is usually traced to the early 1900s; Albert 'Sonny' Cunha's 1903 song 'My Waikiki Mermaid' is often named as its first popular hit, and the era Rock-A-Hula's own programme credits as where it begins.
A sound that outsold the mainland
Hawaiian recordings reportedly outsold every other American music genre by 1916, carried to the mainland by a 1912 Broadway show and the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.
Elvis's own three films here
Presley made three films in Hawaiʻi, starting with 1961's Blue Hawaii, played a 1961 benefit concert at Pearl Harbor for the USS Arizona Memorial, and beamed his 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert worldwide by satellite, the thread the show's own Elvis tribute picks up.
Three ways to book the night
Three ways to book the night
| Option | What's included | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Luau and show | The full luau welcome, buffet, live music, hula lesson and Legends Room, then the Rock-A-Hula show at standard seating. | Groups who want the full evening without paying for premier seats. |
| Luau and show, premier seats (VIP) | The same luau and show booking, with premier seating for the show included — the upgrade GYG reviewers call VIP. | Those who want a guaranteed better seat for the show. |
| Show, with buffet optional | The Rock-A-Hula show alone on a separate listing, about 80 minutes, with the luau buffet available as an add-on and cocktails for purchase at the theatre. | Travellers who want the show without committing to the full dinner. |
Before the curtain
Before the curtain
Finding the theatre
The Royal Hawaiian Theater sits on the 4th floor of Building B at the Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalākaua Avenue, Waikiki. Follow the signs up from the shops.
Luau or show only
The luau-and-show listing checks guests in from the afternoon for the buffet before the theatre; the show-only listing is a separate booking with its own, later arrival.
Comfort in the theatre
Seats are upholstered with legroom and cup holders, so there is no dress code to plan around beyond what you would wear to dinner in Waikiki.
Bringing an infant
Infants go free on both listings as long as they sit on a lap — no seat of their own and no meal.
After the curtain
Cast members stay back for photos and autographs once the show ends, so leave a few extra minutes before you head out.
Wheelchairs and strollers
Both the luau-and-show and show-only listings are marked wheelchair accessible on GetYourGuide; the luau-and-show listing is also pushchair accessible.
Read before the show
Read before the show
how it runs
A Rock-A-Hula night, from check-in to the finale
How the luau-and-show evening moves from check-in to the last bow.
Read this Rock-A-Hula guide → the programmeThe music Rock-A-Hula says it covers, decade by decade
What the production's own programme claims to retrace, checked against the history behind it.
Read this Rock-A-Hula guide → what's on the tableWhat's on the Rock-A-Hula buffet, and what's vegan
Everything on the luau buffet line, dish by dish, and how the vegan option works.
Read this Rock-A-Hula guide → standard or premier seatsStandard seats or premier seats: choosing your package
What the standard luau-and-show booking covers, what premier seats add, and when the separate show-only listing makes more sense.
Read this Rock-A-Hula guide → getting thereFinding the Royal Hawaiian Theater in Waikiki
Where the theatre sits inside the Royal Hawaiian Center, and a little of the building's own history.
Read this Rock-A-Hula guide → families and groupsPlanning a Rock-A-Hula night for kids, groups or a special occasion
What to know before booking for a family, a larger group or a night worth marking.
Read this Rock-A-Hula guide →FAQ
Questions before you book a seat
Is the luau buffet included in every ticket?
No. The buffet is included on the luau-and-show listing, across both its standard and premier-seat packages; the separate show-only listing sells the Rock-A-Hula show with the buffet as an optional add-on.
How long does the buffet run before the show?
About an hour, before the group moves from the luau area into the Royal Hawaiian Theater for the performance.
What's the real difference between the standard and VIP packages?
The standard package books the full luau and show at standard theatre seating. The VIP upgrade is the same booking with premier seats for the show included — GYG's own listing says premier seats come with select packages, and reviewers describe this upgrade as VIP.
Which decades does the show actually cover?
The production's own programme describes a sweep from the 1920s and the hapa-haole era, through tribute sets for Elvis and the King of Pop, to a Tahitian and fire knife finale.
Is the show wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Both the luau-and-show listing and the show-only listing are marked wheelchair accessible on GetYourGuide, and the luau-and-show listing is also pushchair accessible.
Can we bring an infant?
Yes — infants go free on both listings when they sit on a lap. They don't get their own seat or a meal.
Where exactly is the theatre?
On the 4th floor of Building B at the Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalākaua Avenue, Waikiki.
What if our plans change?
Both listings waive the cancellation fee if you back out at least 24 hours ahead, and you're welcome to reserve seats now and settle the bill later.
Pick your Rock-A-Hula ticket
The two Rock-A-Hula listings we would compare
The two Rock-A-Hula listings we would compare, the full luau-and-show night and the lighter show-only ticket, each open their own GetYourGuide page.
Show, with buffet optional
The Rock-A-Hula show alone on a separate listing, about 80 minutes, with the luau buffet available as an add-on and cocktails for purchase at the theatre.
Check this listing's seats ↗More Oʻahu evenings on GetYourGuide
A 750-seat Waikiki theatre that plays Hawaiian music from the 1920s to tonight, closing on hula, Tahitian dance and fire.
Reserve your Rock-A-Hula night ↗GetYourGuide totals your whole party's fare in whichever currency you're paying with, before you confirm anything.