Free two-day Hawaiʻi Book & Music festival held at UH Mānoa

The 19th Hawaiʻi Book & Music Festival (HBMF), in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, will present a robust, two-day program September 14–15 on the UH Mānoa campus.

The free, open to the public, non-profit festival will feature 150 events with more than 300 participants, including themed programs:

• Mainstage, featuring hula and music (at Campus Center)
• Keiki Stage, featuring musical artist Steve Songs (along Legacy Path)
• Performance Stage, featuring hip hop, improv, storytellers and drama (between Kuykendall Hall and the Art Building)
• Celebrity Readers Corner, for young readers

Two Author venues will present new works by the Hawaiʻi Authors and Poets. The festival’s themed programs will include discussion panels on issues in Hawaiian culture, sustainability and resilience, wellness, innovation and the impact of AI on the humanities. Attendees can also enjoy the annual Hawaiʻi Literary Council’s Elliot Cades Awards for Literature, and the Loretta D. Petrie Awards for Service to the Literary Community.

The Publisher’s Village will host local publishers, exhibitors and vendors including a variety of food trucks.

In addition to its partnerships with UH Mānoa, HBMF is supported by the City & County of Honolulu, Kamehameha Schools-Kaiāulu, Kosasa Foundation, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Oceanit, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Always Dream Foundation, Halekulani Hotel, Better Tomorrow Speakers Series, UH Manoa Bookstore, BDK Hawaii, Hawaiʻi Public Radio, Civil Beat and iHeartMedia.

Visit the festival website for the event schedules and program updates.