The Big Island is a blast, pretty much no matter what you’re doing. However, if you really want an authentic Hawaiian experience, we highly recommend checking out a luau.

However, not all luaus are the same – some incorporate more activities into them and some have better quality that end up being more highly-rated than others.

If you’re looking for one of the top luaus on the Big Island available, check this out!

Be sure to see our reviews of Big Island helicopter tours, Big Island volcano tours and Big Island snorkel tours.

Best Luaus on the Big Island

	Voyagers of the Pacific Luau w/ Buffet	Island Breeze Luau on the Big Island	Pilikana - A Kona Inn Luau Polynesian Show
	Best Luau Dinner	Best Luau Show	Best Budget Luau
Location:	Royal Kona Resort	King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel	Kona Inn, 75-5744 Alii Dr Ste 286, Kailua-Kona
Start:	Contact resort	5:30 pm	4:30 pm
Duration:	3 hours	3 hours	3.5 hours
Includes:	All-inclusive island-style buffet, complimentary cocktails, Polynesian Show, Samoan fire knife dance	Alcoholic beverages, dinner, Luau show, shell lei	Dinner, alcoholic beverages, Luau show, shell lei, Hula lesson, Hawaiian games
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 3 Best Rated Big Island Luaus For 2026

1. Best Luau Dinner: Voyagers of the Pacific Luau with Buffet
2. Best Luau Show: Island Breeze Luau on the Big Island
3. Best Budget Luau: Pilikana – A Kona Inn Luau Polynesian Show

Big Island Luau Reviews

1. Best Luau Dinner: Voyagers of the Pacific Luau with Buffet on the Big Island

Let’s start things off on the right foot, with the Big Island: Voyagers of the Pacific Luau with Buffet Tour! This 3-hour excursion is a wonderful way to get insight into Polynesian culture and more of the traditional side of Hawaii that’s not to be missed.

Located on a gorgeous oceanfront setting on Kailua Bay, you’ll get to try some amazing food while watching these amazing shows.

Head over to the Royal Kona Resort, where you’ll be escorted to where the luau show is held. You’ll be welcomed with an aloha shell lei, which is the best way to start out any adventure on the Hawaiian islands.

Next up, they’ll show you craft demonstrations, which are very interesting. As this is an interactive experience, you will get to partake in much of it, learning how to make some yourself. After learning, everyone will begin to head over to a juicy, all-you-can-eat feast!

This buffet consists of flavorful, traditional Hawaiian dishes all made with locally-sourced ingredients. These include, but are not limited to, coconut rolls, Hawaiian sweet potatoes, macaroni, Lomi Lomi salmon salad, stir-fried veggies, Kaluah-style pork, and more.

Oh, and you do have complimentary cocktails included, such as Mai Tais, wine, beer, as well as plenty of soft drinks. Don’t forget the dessert! Hawaiian Haupia pudding and coconut cake are there for the taking.

Enjoy it all as you listen to the pounding drums, watching the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau show, including live song and dance, along with Samoan fire knife dancers!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Other Experiences You May Enjoy:

2. Best Luau Show: Island Breeze Luau on the Big Island

Next up, we bring you yet another incredible 3-hour luau adventure that you have to fit into your schedule! If you’re looking for an exciting time for the entire family, this is a great option.

The Island Breeze Luau on the Big Island is a wonderful value, and is one of those things you just have to do if you’re on the Big Island.

Your Luau starts out at the Kamakahonu, which offers some amazing views of the water. You’ll be welcomed with a shell lei, but also with friendly demeanors and incredibly knowledgeable staff. This is something that makes a big difference – the welcoming attitude of everyone.

Take a seat under the stars, settle in, and get comfortable because you’re going to be entertained by some world-class dancers and musicians. Enjoy complimentary drinks, which include tropical-inspired cocktails, wine, beer, and many soft drink options.

The food is also amazing, and comes from one of the best restaurants in all of Hawaii.

The traditional performances are exhilarating to watch, and tell the story of Pele, the fire goddess. She travels through Polynesia, and the dance tells all about her experiences – namely her meeting the demigod, Kamapua’a.

There are hula lessons, which are so much fun for kids all the way to grown adults. It’s a great way to bond with your loved ones, get out of your comfort zone, and learn more about Polynesian culture, history, and cuisine.

Instead of going to a restaurant, try this experience instead! Leave with your stomach happy, a smile on your face, and new skills acquired.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Other Experiences You May Enjoy

3. Best Budget Luau: Pilikana – A Kona Inn Luau Polynesian Show

This next tour is one of the most unique in all of the island. This Polynesian show is very intense, in terms of the world-class quality of entertainment.

However, the Pilikana – A Kona Inn Luau Polynesian Show tour is one of the best choices for couples, or for the entire family! This one is a great choice if you’re on a tight budget, but really want to learn more about the local culture.

It’s also a bit longer than the others we’ve covered, and we felt like you do have some more activities available to participate in. Like the other two, you’re welcomed with a shell lei which sets the mood off to a great start. As everyone sits down, they’ll be offered a beverage of their choice.

Plenty of soft drinks and juices are available, however, alcoholic beverages like cocktails and wine are also included for the adults. Try out a hula lesson before the entertainment starts!

We found the instructors to be super welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. Kids especially tend to love these lessons, and it’s hard to get them to sit down afterward!

The excitement is contagious, and continues building as the show starts! This special Polynesian show is made to honor and remit the ancient stories that have been passed down for centuries through the form of original compositions and unique choreography only found here.

As you watch fire performers and dancers, enjoy a delicious dinner composed of traditional Hawaiian dishes like Kalua pork, coconut rolls, and all kinds of desserts. The ocean view in the background just makes it that much more enjoyable, and offers the perfect background to this majestic scene.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

A Real Guide to Big Island Luaus

The imu pit opens around 5:30, and the smoke coming off the kalua pig smells like nothing else you’ll eat that week.

That’s the moment worth booking for. Everything else, the hula, the mai tais, the fire knife finale, is the show built around it.

Why Big Island Luaus Are Different

The Big Island runs about eight luaus total, all clustered on the Kona and Kohala Coast. Compare that to Oahu or Maui and you’ll notice the crowd size right away.

Smaller audiences, more oceanfront settings, and a lower tourist volume overall. You’re not fighting three hundred people for a buffet line.

The tradeoff is logistics. If you’re staying in Hilo or up at Volcano, you’re looking at a two to three hour drive each way to reach a show, since none of them run on the wet side of the island.

Book on the Kona or Kohala side of your trip, or plan the drive into your evening and don’t schedule anything early the next morning.

When to Go

Most of these run on set nights, not nightly, so the calendar decides more than you’d think.

Feast & Fire at the Outrigger Kona Resort runs Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30pm. The Sunset Luau at Waikoloa Beach Marriott runs Mondays and Wednesdays at 5pm. Hawaiʻiloa Luau at the Fairmont Orchid is mostly a Saturday show, with the occasional Wednesday added in high season. Voyagers of the Pacific at Mauna Lani runs Friday nights, with Mondays opening up seasonally.

If you’ve got a single free evening on your trip, check which shows actually run that night before you fall in love with one on a review site. Popular dates sell out two to four weeks ahead in high season, especially Saturdays.

Weather matters less here than on other islands since Kona sits in the rain shadow. Hilo gets soaked, Kona mostly doesn’t. Still bring a light layer for the Waikoloa shows, since the wind off the water picks up once the sun’s down.

What You’re Actually Paying For

Every one of these luaus runs the same basic shape. Lei greeting, some hands-on culture before dinner, an imu ceremony where they pull the whole roasted pig out of the ground, a buffet, and a stage show that moves through Hawaiian and wider Polynesian dance.

The Imu Ceremony

This is the one moment across every luau that’s worth showing up early for. The pig goes into an underground pit lined with hot lava rock and banana leaves hours before the show starts, and unearthing it is genuinely a production, not a gimmick.

Legends of Hawaiʻi at the Hilton Waikoloa Village does this part best. It’s the reason people rank that show first even when the food or dancing at a competitor edges it out.

The Food

Expect kalua pork, poi, haupia, taro rolls, poke, and usually a mahi mahi or teriyaki chicken option for anyone who wants something other than pork. Waikoloa’s shows tend to run the strongest buffets on the island, for whatever reason, the Kona side properties don’t quite match them dish for dish.

Hawaiʻiloa at the Fairmont Orchid gets named most often for food quality specifically. If a great buffet matters more to you than a great stage show, that’s the one to book.

The Show

The dancing moves through Tahiti, Samoa, New Zealand, and Hawaii before landing on a Samoan fire knife finale, which is the closing number at nearly every one of these. It’s a real skill, not a stunt for stunt’s sake, and it’s genuinely worth staying for even if you’re ready to leave by then.

Legends of Hawaiʻi runs the most heavily produced version, with a full stage and linen tables. Feast & Fire leans harder into royal Hawaiian lineage and storytelling, since the Lim Family performing it can trace their own family back to Alapaʻi Nui, a historical Hawaiian ruler.

The Shows, Stop by Stop

• Feast & Fire, Outrigger Kona Resort, Keauhou Bay. Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30pm. Performed by the Lim Family. Best pick if cultural authenticity and real family lineage matter more to you than production value.
• Legends of Hawaiʻi, Hilton Waikoloa Village. The most polished version on the island, and the one most travel writers rank first. Best imu ceremony, biggest stage, unlimited mai tais and Blue Hawaiians included in the price.
• Sunset Luau, Waikoloa Beach Marriott. Mondays and Wednesdays, 5pm, right on ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay. Runs twice a week, which makes it the easiest one to fit into a tight schedule. Solid, not showstopping.
• Hawaiʻiloa Luau, Fairmont Orchid. Mostly Saturdays. Strongest food on the island, according to most people who’ve done more than one of these shows. Book it if you’re traveling with people who care more about dinner than dancing.
• Voyagers of the Pacific, Mauna Lani Resort. Friday nights, occasional Mondays in season. Same production company as Legends of Hawaiʻi, so expect similarly strong performers, just at a different setting and usually a lower price.
• Island Breeze, Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Set on Kamakahonu Bay, right by Kamehameha’s former royal estate. Wheelchair accessible, good sunset views, and walkable if you’re staying in downtown Kona.

Two of these, Pilikana Lūʻau at Kona Inn and Hoʻomau Waikoloa Luau, were still running as recently as 2023 and appear to have quietly stopped. If you see them listed anywhere, call the venue directly before you assume they’re still happening.

The One That Isn’t a Show at All

If you want the part every commercial luau keeps offstage, skip the dinner shows entirely and book Imu Mea ʻAi instead. It’s run by the Men of PAʻA, a Native Hawaiian nonprofit near Pāhoa, about 30 minutes south of Hilo.

There’s no stage, no hula, no open bar. It runs mid-morning, not at sunset, and you spend four hours on your feet digging the pit and stacking lava rock yourself, chanting the oli you learn that day instead of watching someone else perform it.

It’s a completely different experience, not a cheaper alternative to the shows above. Book it if you actually want to understand how an imu works, not just eat what comes out of one.

What It Costs and How to Plan

Adult tickets run $163 to $270 depending on the venue and seating tier, with most of the island sitting in the $180 to $230 range. Kids 5 and under are usually free, and kids 6 to 12 run roughly half the adult price.

Premium or VIP seating adds $30 to $60 over general admission and usually buys you a better sightline to the stage, not better food. Skip it unless you’re bringing grandparents who need to actually see the show, not just hear it.

The price gap between the cheapest and most expensive shows mostly reflects venue prestige, not a real difference in show quality. Legends of Hawaiʻi at $230-plus and Voyagers of the Pacific at $180 run comparable performances. You’re paying extra at Legends for the Hilton Waikoloa setting and the aloha-attire dress code, not a better fire knife dancer.

Book two to four weeks ahead in high season, especially for Saturday shows. Most operators let you cancel or reschedule up to 48 hours out, so book early and adjust later rather than waiting and finding the date sold out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Big Island luau is actually the best?

Legends of Hawaiʻi at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, if you want the single best-produced show. It’s got the strongest imu ceremony and the most polished stage.

If food matters more to you than production value, book Hawaiʻiloa at the Fairmont Orchid instead. Both are excellent for different reasons.

Are Big Island luaus worth the money compared to Oahu or Maui?

Yes, and they’re usually a better value. You’re paying similar prices for a less crowded room and a comparable or better show.

The tradeoff is fewer nightly options, since most run once or twice a week rather than every night.

Is a Big Island luau good for kids?

Most of them, yes. Feast & Fire and the Sunset Luau both run family-friendly and include discounted child pricing.

The shows run two to three hours starting around 5 or 5:30pm, which works fine for most kids without pushing bedtime too hard.

Do I need to stay near Kona or Waikoloa to make this work?

Essentially yes. Every luau on the island runs on the Kona or Kohala Coast, and none run in Hilo.

If you’re based in Hilo or Volcano, budget two to three hours of driving round trip, or stay a night on the Kona side specifically for the luau.

What should I actually wear?

Aloha attire or resort casual. Think a sundress or an aloha shirt, not a suit and not beachwear.

Bring a light layer for anything at Waikoloa or Mauna Lani, since the coastal wind picks up once the sun goes down.

Is the Imu Mea ʻAi experience better than a regular luau?

It’s not better, it’s a completely different thing. A regular luau is dinner and a show. Imu Mea ʻAi is a four-hour, hands-on morning where you build the pit yourself with the Men of PAʻA near Pāhoa.

Book a regular luau for the food and the fire knife finale. Book Imu Mea ʻAi if you actually want to understand the tradition instead of watching it from a table.