Merrie Monarch Festival
Pilina First was honored to produce the television broadcast of the Merrie Monarch Festival from the end of 2019 thru 2021.
Merrie Monarch is the largest locally produced broadcast in the State of Hawaiʻi that includes 20+ hours of live programming, wrap-around content, and a significant social media presence, the composite of which did
16.5 million impressions in 2021.
The Merrie Monarch Festival is dedicated to the memory of King David La‘amea Kalākaua, known as the “Merrie Monarch” for his flamboyant and fun-loving ways. Kalākaua was elected king of the Hawaiian Nation in 1874, and reigned until his passing in 1891. He was a patron of the arts, especially music and dance.
After having to forego the festival in 2020 due to the pandemic, it was exciting to be able to celebrate this tradition with ʻohana hula in Hawaiʻi and around the world.
The week-long festivities typically include an arts-and-crafts fair with some of the most sought-after Native Hawaiian artisans and designers, cultural demonstrations, hula exhibitions, and a parade that showcases the many cultures of Hawaiʻi.
In an effort, however, to mālama kumu, ʻōlapa, judges, and the greater community in lieu of the lingering impacts of COVID-19, the 2021 hula competition was not a public, in-person, event. It was broadcasted on Hawaiʻi News Now’s KFVE over three nights in the first week of July 2021.
