The Merrie Monarch Festival, a nonprofit organization that honors the legacy of King David Kalākaua, will be virtual this year.
After months of developing rigorous safety guidelines and a television broadcast plan that will allow for a virtual audience experience, the festival announced March 26 that the hula competition will be held this summer.
All hālau participants and festival staff, as well as the television production crew, have agreed to follow the guidelines that include undergoing multiple COVID tests, a five-day isolation period prior to entering the competition venue for the first time, and daily screenings to continually monitor participants for symptoms.
Performances will take place and be judged in Hilo at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium on June 24-26 and then be broadcast on KFVE the following week on July 1-3 at which time the winners will be announced.
King David Kalākaua inspired the perpetuation of Hawaiian traditions, native language and arts during his reign from 1874 to 1891.