When you vacation on Oahu, make sure you make plans to start your weekend off with a bang. Each Friday evening the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a free firework show on Waikiki Beach.
The fireworks show usually begins around 7:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The start depends on the season and daylight hours. Though subject to change, typically, the schedule goes as follows:
- Summer months (June, July, August) – the show starts at 8:00 p.m.
- All other months – the show tends to start at 7:45 p.m.
Please check this link to the host, Hilton Hawaiian Village, for any updates to the scheduled show times. Please note that the show time is subject to change and cancellation without notice.
If you want to see the fireworks from the beach area, there are several great vantage points — around the Hilton Hawaiian Village and at the beach area by Fort Derussy. For folks staying in Waikiki Beach, just head out to the beach to watch anywhere from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort for the ideal view. (Please note that there are two Outrigger properties in Waikiki Beach, so make sure you are at the “Reef” location which is the westernmost of the two properties.)
Of course, if you are staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you may want to find a spot near the Duke Kahahamoku Lagoon or perhaps even watch from your lanai if you have a view to the fireworks.
One vantage point for the fireworks that we really liked was from the concrete pier in front of the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach. It was a perfect location to see the fireworks reflecting off the water. (We were able to capture a nice selection of fireworks photos.)
The fireworks are not visible from every spot of Waikiki Beach. Take a look at the following Google Map and take note of the curvature of Waikiki Beach. Hilton Hawaiian Village is noted with the red place marker.
View Larger Map
Some boating companies offer cocktail and/or dinner cruises on Friday nights to see sunset and the Friday night fireworks. The view from the ocean looking back at the Honolulu city lights can be quite nice.
Fireworks can be tricky to photography. Check out our Hawaii fireworks photography advice.
As you make your plans to watch the fireworks, consider planning sunset picnic on the beach prior to the show. That way, you’ll have a memorable dinner topped off by fireworks and it’s all on the cheap! Bonus!
If you have any further questions regarding this fireworks show, contact the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Have you seen the Friday night fireworks show in Waikiki Beach? Did you enjoy it?
Sheila Beal
25 comments
Oh YES !! We stayed at Outrigger reef on the beach last August and had a blast !!!
The fireworks you can admire from its beach are SIMPLY MAGIC !!!! You can enjoy them also from the terrace of their restaurant /bar .
On the beach the hotel runs twice a week a lovely “wow renewal ceremony” for hotel guests ; it’s FREE and so moving…
Aloha , laura
Great Post & Great Pictures! – There are so many great things to do in Hawaii that are absolutely free or dirt cheap.
A picnic on the beach before the free fireworks display at the would certainly be on my top 3 things to do when visiting Oahu.
The best things in life are FREE!
@ Laura – I’m glad that you’ve had the opportunity to see the fireworks on Waikiki Beach, too. By the way, I’ve not had an opportunity to write the post yet, but on this last visit we stayed at the Outrigger Reef and took part in the vow renewal. It was beautiful! The Outrigger Reef has just completed renovations and it was very nice too.
@ Dave – so very true about tons of free things to do in Hawaii and as you said, their are the best things of the islands, too!
Shoot, I guess we never stayed there over a Friday so we missed those fireworks.
@ Jim – there’s always next time. BTW, airfares are cheap from around DC right now…can find fares for less than $500.
I know! The problem is vacation days for my wife… 🙁
Beautiful images… I remember my golden time when i was there on (Waikiki Beach) last year. Thanks for sharing your nice tour pictures.
You should watch them from Sarentos on top of the Ilikai hotel which is on the 36th (I think) floor and it’s right next to the Hilton Lagoon where they set the fireworks off from. The food is awesome there as well not to mention the great service they have as well.
Sounds like a great vantage point to watch the fireworks, Nathaniel. Thanks.
I was in Hawaii with a friend in March 2011 we watched the fireworks from the beachside Barefoot bar, complete with cocktails in our hands, it was just fantastic and the hightlight of our holiday
My husband proposed under the fireworks after a decadent dinner at the Bali by the Sea restaurant at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in July 2010…it felt like a fairytale! We are visiting again in a couple weeks and plan to watch the show. 🙂 Highly recommend it! So pretty!
I recently stayed at the outrigger and I could only see the shadow of the fireworks from other buildings. I don’t know if they put on a different show throughout the year but just though people should know!
Stephanie — there’s two Outriggers on Waikiki Beach . Sounds like you might have been staying at the Outrigger furthest away.
Anyway, I recommend folks watch from the beach between Outrigger Reef on the Beach over to the Hilton Hawaiian. Also, a great vantage point is from the pier that juts out near the Outrigger Reef on the Beach.
Just found this article while looking up what time the fireworks started. They were amazing and beautiful, I loved how they lit up the beach and water. We are staying in the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s rainbow tower, and watched them from our room’s balcony. I worried we wouldn’t have a good view, but I think we wound up with a better view than the people on the beach in front of the Hilton. Totally magical and the bonus was listening to the music from the Hilton’s Friday night concert at the super pool…clear, beautiful music from our own balcony.
This will be my second time in Oahu and unfortunately I have yet to see these fireworks. My time will be limited since I will arrive on Friday March 20, and return Wednesday March 25. I was able to purchase a groupon for Sarentos but according to the rules the earliest reservation is for 8 PM, will the fireworks show be over by then?
The fireworks show is usually only 5 minutes long, so they should be over before 8pm.
Hey, is this show acctually free? Do I need to enter in the hotel to see??
Yes its’s free and no you do not have to enter the hotel to see it
Thank yo so much for this lovely post. This will be our first visit to oahu and we definelty plan on a picnic on the beach at the westernmost outrigger property followed by fireworks watched from the pier,
If there is a chance of a shower in the area, will the show still go on, or will it be later?
A threat of showers alone shouldn’t cancel them in advance. Check directly with the Hilton Hawaiian Village for any potential cancellations.
Is the Prior to the fireworks display, Hilton Hawaiian Village hosts a Rockin’ Hawaiian Rainbow Revue still going on by the pool before the fireworks?
It appears that they’ve stopped the Rockin’ Hawaiian Rainbow Revue show. But, the main event — the fireworks — continues to dazzle every Friday.
Can you see these fireworks from Tantalus Lookout? We’re planning on going there for sunset on a Friday night.
If you are talking about Pu’u Ualaka’a State Wayside Park, yes you can technically see where the fireworks are. However, the park closes around sunset time. So, be sure and note when the park closes and when the firework show starts. You’ll most likely find that the park closes at or after the time of the fireworks show. If you’re driving a car, you don’t want to get locked inside the park gates for the night.